Watch: Kate’s near wardrobe malfunction arriving in New Zealand

Watch above: It was a close call as Prince William and Kate arrived in New Zealand.

SYDNEY, Australia – Britain’s Prince William and his wife, Kate, arrived Monday in New Zealand’s capital to cheers from locals who braved windy, rainy weather to catch a glimpse of the royal couple.

And the wind lifted more than their spirits.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge landed in the fog-shrouded city of Wellington on Monday along with their baby son, George, to kick off a three-week tour of New Zealand and Australia.

Exiting the plane nearly caused a wardrobe malfunction for fashion-conscious Kate:

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READ MORE: The royal tour down under: A day-by-day itinerary

It was baby George who stole the hearts of locals as he was carried in his mother’s arms:

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Prince William greeted Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown with Kate and Prince George by his side:

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Prime Minister John Key greeted (and tweeted) the couple before they were whisked off to Government House where they received a traditional Maori welcome.

But not all New Zealand politicians were pleased with the visit. The New Zealand Herald reported NZ First leader Winston Peters was concerned, saying the timing of the royal visit during an election year was “disdainful.”

“They head the Commonwealth, they still head this country for the meantime and mixing politics with that institution is thoroughly bad. I find the misuse of this family slightly disdainful.”

Another local report quoted Peters as critical of the amount of “face time” Key and Labour leader David Cunliffe were getting.

“I just would hope that we don’t see this obsequious subservient photo-opportunity behaviour. You can guarantee I won’t be part of it,” he said, according to the report.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I just would hope that we don't see this obsequious subservient photo-opportunity behaviour. You can guarantee I won't be part of it," he said, according to the report.

William and Kate plan to spend the next few weeks enjoying a wine tasting at a local vineyard, meeting with “The Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson, going on a jet boat ride and visiting Christchurch, which was devastated by an earthquake in 2011.