New Zealand’s Maori King Tuheitia has refused to meet Prince William and Catherine during their royal tour of the country next month, saying that he is “not some carnival act to be rolled out at the beck and call of anyone”.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be visiting New Zealand on 7-16 April with their young son George, but King Tuheitia’s office rejected the offer to meet with them, arguing the 90 minutes allotted is not long enough to observe the proper protocols.

Prime Minister John Key said he was disappointed by the snub, but King Tuheitia’s office blamed it on the inflexibility of “faceless bureaucrats” who organised the trip, and that they were not prepared to compromise their customs to fit into a predetermined schedule.