The Queen greeting Jacinda Ardern at Buckingham Palace during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April, 2018. Ardern was asked by a reporter if the interview, and the picture painted of the royal family, had given her pause around New Zealand's constitutional ties with the royals. "I’ve said before that, you know, I’ve not sensed an appetite from New Zealanders for significant change in our constitutional arrangements, and I don’t expect that that’s likely to change quickly from New Zealanders," Ardern said. A former British colony, New Zealand retains Queen Elizabeth as its constitutional monarch and head of state. Asked whether Harry and Meghan had ever inquired about living in New Zealand, Ardern said they had not done so officially.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 08, 2021 19:30 UTC