Royals

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Gives Prince William Women's Rugby Shirt and Gifts For His Kids

Kensington Palace confirmed via a statement issued on Saturday that the Duke of Cambridge "held an audience" with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

By Shafiq Najib

Published on July 2, 2022 05:26 PM

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 02: (NO SALES) (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) In this handout photo issued by Kensington Palace, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge meets with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Kensington Palace in London during her visit to the UK, on July 2, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Peter Livingstone / Kensington Palace via Getty Images) This photograph is provided to you strictly on condition that you will make no charge for the supply, release or publication of it and that these conditions and restrictions will apply. There shall be no commercial use whatsoever of the photograph (including by way of example only) any use in merchandising, advertising or any other non-news editorial use. The photographs must not be digitally enhanced, manipulated or modified in any manner or form and must include all of the individuals in the photograph when published. All other requests for use should be directed to the Press Office at Kensington Palace in writing. — Photo: Peter Livingstone / Kensington Palace via Getty

Prince William is the host with the most!

The British royal hosted a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Saturday and gave her a warm welcome to his plush palace digs.

Kensington Palace confirmed via a statement that the Duke of Cambridge "held an audience" with Ardern, 41, at his London residence.

In the image released by the palace officials, William, 40, and Ardern can be seen smiling as they chat while sitting on the sofas opposite each other. The prince donned a classic navy suit and a blue dress shirt for the meeting, while the politician wore a long floral dress.

During her visit with the royal, Ardern gifted the prince a Women's Rugby World Cup jersey ahead of their match that will take place in October, per New Zealand's Stuff. She also brought one of her favorite children's books entitled Tulip and Doug: A Spud-Tacular Friendship Story to be given to William's children, as well as a rugby ball for the family.

Prince William and the kids for Father’s Day To mark Father’s Day tomorrow, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are pleased to share a new photograph of The Duke, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. The photograph was taken in Jordan in the Autumn of 2021.. Credit – Kensington Palace — Princess Charlotte, Prince William, Prince Louis, Prince George on holiday in Jordan. Kensington Palace

The meeting marked the first time William and Ardern had gotten together since he visited New Zealand in April 2019 following the tragic shootings at two mosques in the city of Christchurch, according to Harper's Bazaar.

When Ardern was elected as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand in 2017, she became the world's youngest female head of government at age 37. Earlier this year, she and her partner Clarke Gayford canceled their wedding plans due to an outbreak of the COVID-19 omicron variant and restrictions she announced to mitigate its spread in the country.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

A day prior to the meeting, William penned an emotional letter on what would have been his mother, Princess Diana's 61st birthday.

On Friday, the royal paid tribute to the latest recipients of the Diana Award to honor people aged 9-25 for their social action and humanitarian work.

In a moving note to this year's winners, William called them all "an inspiration."

"Congratulations on receiving The Diana Award today! You are part of an inspirational generation of young people who are changing the world through your actions, and I hugely admire your efforts," he wrote in the letter, which was written on official Kensington Palace stationery carrying his "W" royal cipher.

"I hugely admire your efforts. Your stories are remarkable. Many of you face huge challenges in the face of difficult times, yet you are tirelessly breaking down barriers to create a better future for us all," he continued.

"You truly are the personification of my mother's legacy and I know she would be so proud of you all. I believe there's no better way to celebrate her life and work than through recognising incredible people who dedicate so much time and effort to helping those around them."