There has been criticism in the New Zealand media of the Tongan King’s recent trip to Scotland. The criticism has arisen as Tonga has recently suffered the tragic sinking of a ferry, with many people perishing. At least 149 people were on board, with 54 survivors having being found, and 2 bodies. The number dead is unconfirmed. The ferry was in a questionable condition at the time, and for many days the location of the ship below the water was unknown. The ferry, the Princess Ashika, was located by the New Zealand Navy yesterday, although she is in water 50-60 metres too deep for the New Zealand and Australian Navy divers to reach.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key’s only comment about the King’s travelling during a time of such grief was that he understood that the trip was a long term commitment, and the Tongan education minister defended King George Tupou, saying that it was an official visit. The public’s reaction to the King’s trip seems to be mixed, with reports that those Tongans at home are not concerned by his absence, yet there have been outpourings of anguish and grief on the internet.

marmi Tongan Royals George Tupou V, Media, New Zealand, Official Visit, Prime Minister Key, Scotland

On July 7 New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key began a series of official visits to Tonga, Samoa, Niue, and the Cook Islands. During the visit, Key will meet with all four Prime Ministers; he will also meet King George Tupou V of Tonga. The visits will last until July 10.

Click to see the image at Matangi Online

The meeting (in fact meetings, plural) with the King took place on the 7th, the first being an audience soon after the Prime Minister’s arrival in the island nation. The second meeting was a dinner, reported to have lasted late into the night. The audience took place at Consular House, where the official delegation met the King’s dogs, Pulupa and Estelle.

Key is flying between the islands with the RNZAF, and the official delegation includes (amongst others) the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs Georgina te Heuheu and Maori Party co-leader, Dr Pita Sharples. Bronagh Key, the PM’s wife, is also travelling with the delegation.

HM King George Tupou V travelled to New Zealand in 2006 to attend the funeral of the Maori Queen, and her son’s coronation.

marmi Tongan Royals George Tupou V, New Zealand, Official Visit, Prime Minister Key

Click to see the image at Royal Blog

HM Queen Elizabeth II today knighted former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Don McKinnon, as Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in recognition of his 2000-2008 (two terms) “outstanding” service as Secretary-General. Today is Commonwealth Day, a fitting day for his knighting.

Sir Don McKinnon was also New Zealand’s longest serving Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand. He is also a member of the Order of New Zealand and McKinnon’s wife and two sons attended today’s ceremony with the Queen. Following the ceremony the new Knight and the Queen talked for a half hour; discussing not only the Commonwealth, but horses and cattle too.

Current New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has congratulated the new Sir Don McKinnon on his knighthood.

marmi British Royals Elizabeth II, Knighthood, New Zealand, Orders, Sir Don McKinnon

Today has been the second and final day of the State Visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain. Today there were two ceremonies for the royal visitors, who spent the day in the capital city, Wellington. The first was a wreath laying at National War Memorial and Tomb of the Unknown Warrior; His Majesty laid a wreath. This was followed by a welcome ceremony at parliament, which included a 100 person Royal Guard of Honor, with each of the three elements of the New Zealand Defense Forces represented and the playing of the national anthems of both New Zealand and Spain. A crowd of several hundred spectators, and the Spanish media contingent joined local media to witness the ceremony, which included a traditional Maori welcome, the powhiri, was performed.

The powhiri is performed frequently for such occasions; amongst the most recent royal visitors to receive such a welcome were the Dutch Crown Prince and Princess in 2006. The powhiri is a process of welcoming visitors, and one part of the powhiri which has become famous internationally is the hongi. The hongi makes the visitor and the tangata whenua (the local people) “at one”; it is the exchange of the ha, the breath of life.

A luncheon was then held in the Banquet Hall at Parliament in honor of the royal visitors. The King and Queen spoke with the Speaker, Leader of the Opposition, and Prime Minister John Key. They were present for the signing and announcement of an agreement which allows New Zealanders aged 18-30 to work in Spain for 6 months, and remain in Spain for up to a year. This is a reciprocal agreement, so Spaniards are able to visit New Zealand the same way. The agreement has an allowance for up to 200 people, and it is reported to be the 15th of its kind signed by New Zealand, the first by Spain. New Zealand has many such agreements as they support the traditional OE (Overseas Experience) taken by young Kiwis – according to some statistics up to 85% of university graduates will make the rite of passage trip to Europe, where they will work and travel for up to several years.

In the afternoon the King and Queen attended the opening of the new Spanish embassy in Wellington. HM the Queen also attended a performance by the Royal New Zealand Ballet. She was accompanied by the wife of the Prime Minister, Bronagh Key, and the performance included Balcony Pas de Deux (from Romeo and Juliet) and a preview performance from La Sylphide (which will begin showing on July 30).

The following day, Wednesday 24th June, the King and Queen are to fly the short distance to Australia to begin a State Visit there.

marmi Spanish Royals King Juan Carlos, New Zealand, Queen Sofia, State Visit

Their Majesties King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain today began a brief state visit to New Zealand. They arrived late Sunday evening (local time) in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city; this after a brief stop-over in Singapore en route from Spain.

The royal couple is in New Zealand with a high-powered business delegation, including Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and the Secretary of State for Trade Silvia Iranzo Gutierrez. It has been reported that the aim is to allow Spanish businesses to expand into New Zealand, and this will in return vastly increase New Zealand’s access to selling our exports in the Latin American market.

This morning (soon after 10am) King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia visited the Yacht Research Centre at the University of Auckland where pioneering research was displayed for them. Sailing is very important in New Zealand, as followers of the America’s Cup will be aware. Auckland is fondly known by New Zealanders are the City of Sails. King Juan Carlos’ interest in sailing is also well known. For photos of the visit, see this gallery.

Whilst at the University, the King and Queen met Spanish students. The Spanish government has made contributions to the university’s teachings, and they credit this as a reason for Spanish being the most popular European language taught on the campus. Read more…

marmi Spanish Royals King Juan Carlos, New Zealand, Prime Minister Key, Queen Sofia, Sir Peter Blake, State Visit

From the TRF avatar collection

 The Highgrove Florilegium was first produced in 2008 and this year a New Zealander’s work is to be included in the second volume. Susan Worthington is quick to emphasise that she is not a botanist, but that her water colour paintings are botanically correct.

Less than 200 copies of the latest volume of the Highgrove Florilegium are to be printed, and will fetch a remarkable price tag – that of NZ$30,000. Susan is to travel from her Waikanae home to England in July, where she will present her works and meet HRH Prince Charles. The meeting will take place, appropriately enough, in the Highgrove Gardens.

According to the website of the Prince of Wales, the book combines two of his passions – horticulture and painting – and proceeds from the sale of the book will go to The Prince’s Charities Foundation. Each plant depicted will be accompanied by written information about the plant, and the Prince is expected to sign each set (a set being comprised of one of each of the two volumes).

For more information about the book, visit the Prince of Wales’s website. For an article about Susan Worthington, click here.

marmi British Royals Highgrove Florilegium, New Zealand, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Susan Worthington, The Prince's Charities Foundation

View the image at the NZ Government Website

The question of the relevance of monarchies is one which seems to be being asked more and more frequently these days. Just recently, an American magazine ran an article about the Danish Crown Prince Couple, in a similar vein. Many constitutional monarchies are questioning whether they should turn republic, and New Zealand has been one of these.

New Zealanders don’t seem to be able to make up our minds – there’s enough interest that the issue keeps coming up, but no one wants to be the one to actually push for the change to a republic. A column in a recent weekend newspaper has brought the matter back to our attention. Holmes (the author) questions the relevance of a monarch who lives thousands of kilometres away, with a very different lifestyle to your average Kiwi, and very rarely visits.

Monarchies in general were also discussed on a morning television show this past week. So there is discussion. Earlier this year Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that whilst Australia making the change was not likely to be immediate, it would happen. The message is the same from New Zealand’s PM John Key, he saying that it is unlikely to ‘happen under his watch’.

So there are those who want New Zealand to become a republic, and they are getting tired of all the talk, and lack of action. But there are also plenty who either are neutral or wish for the Queen to remain our Head of State. For New Zealand to become a republic a referendum would have to be won.

marmi British Royals New Zealand, Republicanism

The Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, has announced the restoration of Knight and Dame titles, which were dropped by the previous Labour government in 2000. It was widely believed at the time that the replacement of these titles, which are linked to the British honours system, was a step down the road to eventual republicanism and separation from Britain.

The Knight and Dame titles were replaced by the Principal and Distinguished Companion title. Holders of these titles will have the opportunity to exchange them for Knight and Dame titles if they wish. The change is set to occur before the announcement of the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in June of this year.

The move, which has the approval of the Queen,  has been criticised by people who believe that New Zealand’s honours system should be fully independent of the British system, but it has been welcomed by those who think the change in 2000 downgraded the meaning of the titles.

Lucia-mia British Royals Elizabeth II, New Zealand, Titles