WreathOfLaurels
Courtier
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2016
- Messages
- 593
- City
- Wellington
- Country
- New Zealand
Hello Everyone,
Inspired by the news of the upcoming Dutch Royal visit to the shaky isles, I was thinking about other royals who have visited NZ as well. I have put Non-British in the title because NZ is one of the so-called "Commonwealth Realms" as along with Australia, Canada, and much of the Carribean, New Zealand shares the UK monarch as de jure head of state with 15 other countries with the Governor General acting as the day-to-day de facto HoS, so visits from members of the BRF are fairly common and are not always based on UK government business, they often are in relation to CMWTH matters, the military, or something related to the NZ government. If the UK govt wants to talk turkey so to speak they normally send government reps.
The following are the ones I know about in no particular order and the dates are as best as I can remember them - there's no list on the internet that I can easily access at the moment:
I can't think of any others at the present time but if anyone else knows of any non-UK royals who have visited NZ please say so in a reply. I've got no idea about Norway (although Norsewood, which is down the road from Dannevirk was a Norwegian settlement town), sorry. Don't know about any of the gulf royals or the Jordanians either.
I will be trying to look for pictures of some of these visits as when they are welcomed formally to New Zealand, along with the inspection of the colour, there is a Powhiri (a Maori greeting ceremony for important persons - pronounced Po-fee-ree with the stress on Po) and are allowed to wear a feathered cloak (Kakahu), which are associated with prestige and status (mana).
If anyone else can set me straight an add any information to the list or who can provide more information and correct some of my more egregious flights of fancy, please do
Inspired by the news of the upcoming Dutch Royal visit to the shaky isles, I was thinking about other royals who have visited NZ as well. I have put Non-British in the title because NZ is one of the so-called "Commonwealth Realms" as along with Australia, Canada, and much of the Carribean, New Zealand shares the UK monarch as de jure head of state with 15 other countries with the Governor General acting as the day-to-day de facto HoS, so visits from members of the BRF are fairly common and are not always based on UK government business, they often are in relation to CMWTH matters, the military, or something related to the NZ government. If the UK govt wants to talk turkey so to speak they normally send government reps.
The following are the ones I know about in no particular order and the dates are as best as I can remember them - there's no list on the internet that I can easily access at the moment:
- King and Queen of Thailand - 1962
- Shah and Shahbounu of Iran - 1970s - multiple visits - we make a lot of $$$ from selling frozen meat to the ME
- Queen Margarethe II - 1987 - memorable as she visited Dannevirk (a Danish settlement town in the central north island and these days famous for its rates to teen pregnancy)
- Juan Carlos and Sofia of Spain - 1989, 2009, and a private visit for the America's Cup Regatta in 2000
- Philippe of Belgium as crown prince - 2012 I think
- Willem Alexander and Maxima as crown prince and crown princess - 2006
- Princess Beneditke - 2009 I think
- Can't think of any Swedish ones - I think princess Christina may have visited NZ on behalf of CG but I don't think GC&S have been to NZ
- princess (formerly Queen) Beatrix and the late prince Claus I think may have visited in the 1980s
- CP Naruhito and CPss Masako of Japan - early 2000s and I think Akihito and Michiko - late 80s early 90s? This was controversial as there's a lot of bad blood in NZ over Japanese war crimes and esp maltreatment of NZ POWs in Japanese POW camps
- Some of the other Asian royals as part of APEC meetings and other bodies regional to the Asia-Pacific - various dates, can't recall specific names sorry
- Any Royal business that is related to international sporting bodies - chances are they will probably have come to NZ for a GM at one point or another
- I'm not certain but I think Constantine and Anne-Marie may have visited NZ for the 2000 Americas Cup regatta and poss for other reasons reasons related to his charities and/or the NZ Greek community and/or Battle of Crete veterans - I know he's not a reigning monarch anymore but I'm casting a wide net here
- Various Tongan Royal visits and other assorted Pasifika chiefly/noble figures
I can't think of any others at the present time but if anyone else knows of any non-UK royals who have visited NZ please say so in a reply. I've got no idea about Norway (although Norsewood, which is down the road from Dannevirk was a Norwegian settlement town), sorry. Don't know about any of the gulf royals or the Jordanians either.
I will be trying to look for pictures of some of these visits as when they are welcomed formally to New Zealand, along with the inspection of the colour, there is a Powhiri (a Maori greeting ceremony for important persons - pronounced Po-fee-ree with the stress on Po) and are allowed to wear a feathered cloak (Kakahu), which are associated with prestige and status (mana).
If anyone else can set me straight an add any information to the list or who can provide more information and correct some of my more egregious flights of fancy, please do
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