Prince George showed he is growing up fast when he joined a baby playgroup for the first time – and went on a crawl-about.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s son was described as a “bubbly” and “feisty” eight-month-old who is advanced for his age by the other impressed parents.
George was boisterous and lively, waving his arms and kicking his legs in excitement when he spotted the other babies – all a similar age to the prince – with their toys.
Dressed in a pair of £75 blue dungaree shorts by British luxury brand Rachel Riley, a white blouse and soft blue pre-walking shoes, he crawled around interacting with the other children and stole their toys – after escaping the attentions of mum at the event staged on the third day of the Duke and Duchess’ tour of New Zealand and Australia.
When Kate chatted to the other parents she revealed her son is sleeping well and has moved on to solid food while William said the best way to get over jet-lag was to sleep and distract his son.
In the plush surroundings of Wellington’s Government House – the official home of the Governor General – William and Kate chatted informally with the parents of 10 babies including a pair of gay fathers and a single mother.
All of the children were from local families and chosen by the organisation, which provides healthcare and support to new parents, known in New Zealand simply as Plunket.
The idea of the reception was to give William and Kate the opportunity to introduce George to the world in a less formal way, and give the couple a chance to swap anecdotes about the trials and tribulations of being first-time parents.
William revealed he is very much a modern dad, helping out with childcare duties at the end of the day.
At one point during the reception, Kate held George on her hip as the teething prince pulled at her hair and put it in his mouth.
The Duchess frequently shifted her son from hip to hip and nearby was George’s nanny Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo.
To distract her son Kate gave him a blue plastic block that George instantly put into his mouth, then threw it to the floor.
The idea was to introduce George in a less formal way
She eventually put him on the carpet and immediately George took off after taking a particular liking to a toy tambourine.
He grabbed at several other toys being held by other youngsters before Kate encouraged him to crawl to her and then pulled him to his feet.
George excitedly bobbed around, indicating that as well as mastering crawling, he isn’t far off cruising either.
The playgroup was organised by the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society. It was founded in 1907 by paediatrician Sir Frederic Truby King who wanted to help babies and mothers dying of malnutrition and disease.
Today Plunket, a non-profit organisation, helps more than 90 per cent of all babies born in New Zealand, with free childcare advice, home visits and other services.