Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, are wrapping up their visit to Papua New Guinea today and travel on to Australia.
Speaking at a State Dinner in Port Moresby on Sunday night, the Prince of Wales expressed his gratitude to the nation for their reception.
“The welcome we received was so wonderfully warm and friendly and special that I promise you we shall leave here [on Monday] with immense regret but also with he shouts of welcome ringing in our ears,” he said.
“Which we will also be able to convey to Our Majesty when we return.”
In his State Dinner address, Prince Charles reflected on his four visits to the country, the first of which was as a student in 1966.
“Quite a large proportion of ministers in the government here were only about one or two years old when I came here in 1966, which makes me feel even older,” he joked.
The prince also addressed the importance of Commonwealth, saying the body was based on friendship and relationships established over time and it was needed more today than ever.
The Royal couple will leave Papua New Guinea for Australia today, where final preparations are underway at their first stop in the nation – the western Queensland town of Longreach.
The couple will also visit New Zealand during their 13-day regional tour, where Prince Charles will celebrate his 64th birthday on November 14.
Their main functions are in Auckland and Wellington and will include a traditional Maori welcome that involves the hongi, or pressing of noses, and inspecting costumes from the upcoming Peter Jackson film The Hobbit.
Caption: Prince Charles receives his Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu medal from Sir Michael Ogio in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on November 3, 2012. (AAP: Ness Kerton)
Source: Australia Network News.com
