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Baby's first tour: Prince George travels Down Under with William and Kate

Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, have left for a much anticipated three-week trip to New Zealand and Australia. It's their first trip abroad with their 8-month-old son, Prince George.
William and Kate set off on first trip abroad with son 01:36

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge landed in New Zealand early Monday local time for a three-week tour of New Zealand and Australia. It's the first royal tour for Prince George.

Prince George is third in line to the British throne, but his parents want to be the picture of a modern family. So William and Kate are taking their 8-month-old son on a business trip.

When Prince Charles and Princess Diana took 9-month-old William Down Under in 1983, it was revolutionary. Royal babies always stayed home with the nanny.

But Charles and Diana took the nanny on the road, along with a team of 20, including a chef just for William. The young prince was a hit.

"Surely you've run out of film by now," a laughing Prince Charles told the avid photographers back then.

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Prince George looks at Lupo the cocker spaniel during a photo session with his parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. CBS News

William and Kate will have a team of a dozen. There's a hairdresser for the duchess, a nanny for George, and their every move tracked on Twitter via #RoyalVisitNZ.

But this is a working trip aimed at winning over the people who don't see the need for a royal family.

"There is a megawatt rock star quality about them when you see them abroad," said royal commentator Roya Nikkah.

And is adding an 8-month-old baby to the mix a secret weapon?

"Add an 8-month-old baby to the mix, I suspect this trip will buy the monarchy another 100 years in Australia and New Zealand," said Nikkah.

The public may not see much of George. He has no official schedule and could spend the bulk of his first overseas tour safely tucked away with his nanny.

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Prince George made his first public appearance on July 23, 2013, when the 1-day-old infant left the hospital with his parents. CBS News


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