In New Zealand, Prince Harry is cleaning up. The globetrotting princeling is the surprise star of a comedy sketch promoting sustainable tourism, “inspired by Maori”, that airs on Monday night on the Maori TV channel in New Zealand.
In it, Rhys Darby (him off Flight of the Conchords) ticks off the California royal for dropping a sweet wrapper in New Zealand’s unspoilt Maori wildernesses on the prince's last visit to the country, with wife Meghan Markle, in 2018.
The Duke of Sussex, wearing running shorts, AirPods and a grey T-shirt embossed with the words ‘Girl Dad’, is struck by a royally great idea: if only there were a way that tourists could make sure that their travel did as little harm to the planet as possible.
Happily, Prince Harry’s new non-profit organisation, Travalyst, will work with six travel brands, including Google and Skyscanner, to collect and display flight emissions data for travellers booking trips.
He also asks travellers looking for sustainable trips to "flip the script" and asks “what would happen if our holiday rated us?”.
For good measure, he also shows off his working knowledge of Maori, the language of the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. He uses the phrase “a new kaupapa”, which translates in English to “work that is considered principled and for the public good”, and talks of kaitiakitanga (guardianship and protection) and manaakitanga (love and compassion), of which he learnt about during trips to New Zealand, known in the Maori language as Aotearoa.
“I’ve been to Aotearoa a number of times throughout my life and I’ve always felt a deep connection and respect toward the Maori people who make me feel so welcome every time,” Harry told Moana Maniapoto, host of the show Te Ao with Moana, in a short interview that accompanied the sketch.
Which is all very nice. We stan a hard-working man, especially an unabashed ‘Girl Dad’. (What is a ‘Girl Dad’, you ask? Why, says Urban Dictionary, he’s a “father who wants his daughter(s) to have the same rights, opportunities, and privileges as any boy”.)
Maniapoto said earlier that she believed the bit was a hoax when contacted by the Prince’s representatives. “I thought it was a scammer, truly, but no, it all checked out,” she said. “Prince Harry wanted the worldwide launch out of Aotearoa and on this programme.”
She added: “We are open to talking to anyone . . . anything that particularly resonates with our values as Maori, whether we agree or not.
“We talk about the Crown every week. I’m hoping that we will have an interview further down the track to tease out that relationship between Maori and the Crown.”