King Charles III’s wife Queen Camilla was crowned alongside him in May as the world watched on, and now, one month later, the royal has been bestowed a special honour.
It has been announced that the Queen has been awarded for her services to New Zealand, and will become an additional member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
All was revealed in the King’s Birthday and Coronation Honours List 2023, which was published by the New Zealand government on Monday.
Also, on the special list of 182 honours is former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who is set to be Dame Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
In 2019, Charles and Camilla visited New Zealand as part of an official tour. The trip included three public walks which gave New Zealanders the chance to greet the royals in person.
While there, the couple visited a winery and also experienced a traditional wreath-laying ceremony.
Charles is yet to visit the country since becoming King, but he has made official trips to both Germany and Romania during his reign.
The King’s late mother Queen Elizabeth II had close ties to New Zealand and she visited the country ten times during her platinum reign.
Addressing the nation in 1953, the then-monarch said: “I want to show that the Crown is not merely an abstract symbol of our unity but a personal and living bond between you and me.”
