The royal couple was treated to a dance called a haka and greeted elders with a pressing of noses called a hongi.
As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's tour continued this weekend, the parents-to-be were treated to a traditional indigenous welcome upon their arrival to New Zealand.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex landed in Wellington on Sunday as they began the final leg of their 16-day, four country tour of the South Pacific.
Per the AP, the royals each performed a "hongi" with elders of the Maori people, Polynesians whose descendants first arrived to the islands hundreds of years before Western settlers.
When performing a hongi, two people press their noses together in order to share a breath.
Meghan and Harry were also welcomed with traditional haka performances, a type of Maori dance, as well as a with a 21-gun salute at Government House in the country's capital.
As part of her tour in New Zealand, Meghan spoke to an audience of distinguished individuals on their early embrace of women's rights, congratulating them on being the first country to extend the right to vote to women 125 years ago.
"Suffrage is not simply about the right to vote but also about what that represents," Meghan said. "The basic and fundamental human right of being able to participate in the choices for your future, and for your community."
A vocal and lifelong proponent of the cause, Meghan said she "reflected on the importance of this achievement but also the larger impact of what this symbolizes.
"Because yes, women's suffrage is about feminism but feminism is about fairness," she said.
Harry and Meghan are slated for more events in Wellington on Monday before traveling to the city of Auckland and then to Rotorua--known for its geothermal activity and Maori culture--as their whirlwind official trip ends Wednesday.
RELATED STORIES
