Hundreds welcome Princess Anne to Christchurch

A large crowd gathered at Cathedral Square in Christchurch today to catch a glimpse of Princess Anne.

Dressed in a yellow jacket and skirt with black gloves, the Princess Royal rededicated the Citizens’ War Memorial at noon in front of a crowd of several hundred people.

She laid a wreath and unveiled a plaque as part of the half-hour ceremony.

She won’t be doing a walkabout, but members of the public were able to observe the event.

Anne will now visit Canterbury Agricultural Park to unveil a plaque dedicated to the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association and the support it received when the show had to be cancelled due to the Covid restrictions.

Anne is King Charles III's sister and the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. She arrived in New Zealand on Wednesday and visited the National Crisis Management Centre at the Beehive in Wellington to meet those involved in the response to Cyclone Gabrielle.