Prince Harry spotted a familiar face in the crowd as he arrived in Christchurch on the fourth day of his New Zealand tour. Vicky McBratley, Harry's matron during his time at Ludgrove School, was among those who braved the rain to see the Prince, and presented him with a collection of photos of him and his friends."My goodness, I remember you!" the royal said as he spotted Vicky. "Long time no see!" He then leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek, telling Vicky it's "so nice to see you again".
© Photo: RexPrince Harry greets his old school matron Vicky McBratley
“He just looked really shocked and said, 'Hi Vicky, nice to see you', gave me a kiss and had a chat," the schoolteacher said after their meeting. "(He was) a loveable, friendly, nice boy. He's still got that same smile."Prince Harry attended the exclusive prep school in Wokingham from 1992 until 1998, during which time his parents divorced and his mother Princess Diana was tragically killed. Vicky’s first day working at Ludgrove was the day of Diana's funeral.She now works as a pre-school teacher in Christchurch, and Harry asked about her life in New Zealand and met her three children, Hayden, 11, Summer, ten and Sienna, eight, as well as her husband Andy.When she then presented him with the school photos, the Prince winced as he leafed through the pictures, but said, "They are awesome. I love that," New Zealand's The Press News reports.
© Photo: RexVicky helped take care of Prince Harry during his time at Ludgrove School
Christchurch was hit by an earthquake in 2011, which killed 185 people – and Harry's visit was to support regeneration efforts in the area.Earlier in the day, he met with Prime Minister John Key and rode a tram with him through some of the worst affected areas hit by the earthquake, before visiting the Quake City Exhibition.Waiting outside to greet Harry were hundreds of well-wishers, and after his tour of the museum, Harry took his time to greet them. He even agreed to break his self-imposed selfie ban for a photo with 14-year-old Finlay Martin, the Telegraph reports."He said he didn't do selfies but he would do this one but not look at the camera," she said. "I was actually more excited that I thought I would be. "Harry also stopped to speak to fellow red-head, Riley Harris, six, who was holding a placard saying: "Keep calm. Ginger is the spice of life. "The Prince told the little boy: "Gingers rule. Don't ever let anyone hassle you about it, and hang that sign up above your bed."
