Monarchy in New Zealand

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The New Zealand Monarchy is a shared monarchy. This article describes the Monarchy from the perspective of New Zealand. In the other Commonwealth Realms, the constitutional role of the Monarchy is similar, but the historical and cultural significance may differ. For information on the Monarchy in the other Realms, see: Other Realms

New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth Realm, with Queen Elizabeth II as its reigning monarch, since February 6, 1952. As such she is the de jure head of state, though she does hold several powers that are hers alone, while the Governor General is sometimes referred to as the de facto head of state.

In New Zealand, the Queen's official title is: Elizabeth the Second, By the Grace of God, Queen of New Zealand and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.

The Realm of New Zealand comprises New Zealand, Tokelau and the Ross Dependency, and the self-governing states of the Cook Islands and Niue.

The heir apparent is Elizabeth II's eldest son, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales.

[edit] Constitutional monarchy in New Zealand

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand, wearing the sash and the star of the New Zealand Order of Merit, as well as the badges on her shoulder of the Order of New Zealand and the Queen's Service Order.

[edit] International versus domestic role

One of the most complicated features of the New Zealand Monarchy is that it is in fact a shared monarchy. Some 53 independent sovereign states, including New Zealand, are members of the Commonwealth of Nations (Formerly The British Empire, and later British Commonwealth). 16 of these countries are specifically Commonwealth Realms who recognise the same sovereign, separately, as their head of state.

Queen Elizabeth II is the current Monarch's conventional title for all her Commonwealth Realms, but is generally regarded as "Queen of New Zealand" only when she is actually present in New Zealand or when she otherwise performs ceremonies relevant to New Zealand. Some examples are conferring New Zealand Honours while in the United Kingdom.

Most of the sovereign of New Zealand's domestic duties are performed by the Governor General of New Zealand.

There are few duties which must be performed specifically by the sovereign (such as signing the appointment papers of Governor General), but on occasion the monarch must personally act directly in partisan affairs (yet to happen in New Zealand).

In addition to the sovereign's role in each realm, he or she is also the nominal Head of the Commonwealth. Though this title does not imply any political power over member nations and does not automatically belong to the monarch, only the shared Monarch of the Commonwealth Realms has ever held the title.

[edit] Development of shared monarchy

Although Queen Elizabeth II is also monarch of the United Kingdom and several other Commonwealth countries, each nation – including New Zealand – is sovereign and independent of the others.

The Balfour Declaration of 1926 provided the dominions the right to be considered equal to Britain, rather than subordinate; an agreement that had the result of, in theory, a shared Crown that operates independently in each Realm rather than a unitary British Crown under which all the dominions were secondary. The monarchy thus ceased to legally be an exclusively British institution.

On all matters of the New Zealand State, the Monarch is advised solely by New Zealand ministers. No British or other Realm government can advise the Monarch on any matters pertinent to New Zealand.

Further information: Executive Council of New Zealand

Queen Elizabeth II, is the current monarch's conventional title for all her Commonwealth Realms, but is generally addressed as "Queen of New Zealand" when she is actually present in New Zealand or when she otherwise performs duties relevant to New Zealand abroad, on the advice of her New Zealand ministers. Some examples are conferring New Zealand honours while in the United Kingdom.

In addition to the Monarch's role in each Realm, the New Zealand Monarch is also the nominal Head of the Commonwealth. Though this title, does not imply any political power over member nations, and does not automatically belong to the monarch, only the shared monarch of the Commonwealth Realms has ever held this title.

[edit] Finance

Contrary to common misconception, New Zealanders do not pay any monies to the Queen, either for personal income or to support the Royal residences outside of New Zealand. Only when the Queen is in New Zealand, or acting abroad as Queen of New Zealand, does any New Zealand government support her in the performance of her duties. This rule applies equally to other members of the Royal Family.

Usually the New Zealand governments pay only for the costs associated with the Governor General in their exercising of the powers of the Crown on behalf of the Queen, including travel, security, residences, offices, ceremonial occasions, etc.

[edit] Constitutional role

New Zealand's constitution is made up of a variety of statutes and conventions that are either British or New Zealand origin. Part one of the Constitution Act 1986 describes "The Sovereign", as the reigning Monarch who is New Zealand's Head of state. Section 2(1) of the Act declares "The Sovereign in right of New Zealand" as Head of state, section 5(1) describes the Sovereign's successor as being "...determined in accordance with the enactment of the Parliament of England intituled The Act of Settlement". This means that whoever is Head of State of the United Kingdom under the Act of Settlement 1701 shall be Head of state of New Zealand.

This legislation lays out the rules that the Monarch cannot be a Roman Catholic, nor married to one, and must be in communion with the Church of England upon ascending the throne.

As New Zealand's rules of succession are identical to those of the United Kingdom (by the Statute of Westminster) see Succession to the British Throne for more information.

All powers of State are constitutionally reposed in the Monarch, who is represented by the Governor General of New Zealand.

The Governor General is appointed by the Monarch upon the advice of the Prime Minister of New Zealand.

[edit] Duties

Anand Satyanand, Governor General of New Zealand

Most of the Queen's domestic duties are performed by the Governors General.

As in the UK, the Monarch's role, and thereby the vice-regal's role, is almost entirely symbolic and cultural, acting as a symbol of the legal authority under which all governments operate, and the powers that are constitutionally hers are exercised wholly upon the advice of the elected government. The monarch "reigns" but does not "rule".

There are also few duties which must be performed specifically by the Queen (e.g., signing the appointment papers of Governors General), or require assent specifically by the Queen.

It is also possible that if the Governor General decided to go against the Prime Minister's or the government's advice, the Prime Minister could appeal directly to the Monarch, or even recommend that the Monarch dismiss the Governor General.

The Queen has formally opened Parliament from the old Legislative Council Chamber on five occasions, in January 1954, February 1963, March 1970, February 1986 and February 1990. On each occasion the Royal Standard was flown from the central flag pole while the Queen was in Parliament House. ^[1]

[edit] Royal Assent

Royal Assent and proclamation are required for all acts of Parliament; usually granted by the Governor General.

Further information: Royal Prerogative

[edit] Representation of the State

At one time the Monarchy was considered a purely British institution, when most New Zealanders still continued to be both legally, and by personal view, British subjects. However, paralleling the changes in constitutional law, and the evolution of New Zealand nationalism, the cultural role of the Monarchy in New Zealand altered.

[edit] Title

One of the first post-war examples of New Zealand's status as an independent monarchy was the alteration of the Monarch's title, by the Royal Titles Act 1953

For the first time the official New Zealand title mentioned New Zealand separately from the United Kingdom and the other Realms, to highlight the Monarch's role specifically as Queen of New Zealand, as well as the shared aspect of the Crown throughout the Realms: The Royal Titles Act 1953 first introduced a New Zealand royal title for use by the sovereign in right of New Zealand, in this case "Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith". With the passage of the Royal Titles Act 1974 Queen Elizabeth II's royal title in New Zealand has been “Elizabeth the Second, By the Grace of God, Queen of New Zealand and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith.”

Although the Queen's New Zealand titles include "Defender of the Faith ," neither the Queen, nor the Governor-General has any religious role in New Zealand; there have been no established churches in New Zealand. This is one of the key differences from the Queen's role in the United Kingdom where she is Supreme Governor of the Church of England.

Further information: List of titles and honours of Queen Elizabeth II

[edit] Symbols

2003 stamp issue, reproducing the stamps issued in New Zealand in 1953

Old New Zealand $100 note bearing the Queen's image. From 1953 to 1990, all New Zealand banknotes minted bore this image.

References to the monarchy are commonplace in public life in New Zealand. Her portrait is still found in some government buildings, military installations, and schools. There are references to St Edward's Crown, on the New Zealand's Royal Coat of Arms, on various medals, and awards.

These latter cases reflect the monarch's place as the ceremonial head of the New Zealand honours system. As such, only she can approve the creation of an honour, which she does as requested by the government of New Zealand. Although, the Governor General administers most responsibilities relating to New Zealand honours on the Queen's behalf.

The use of the term 'Royal', as in the Royal New Zealand Navy and Royal New Zealand Air Force, and oaths taken by politicians, judges, members of the armed forces and new citizens are to the Queen. The Queen's portrait appears on some postage stamps, the obverse (front) of New Zealand coins, and all banknotes feature the portrait of the Queen as the watermark. However, only the $20 banknote bears her image as the main feature.

In New Zealand, unlike in the United Kingdom, the Queen's Official Birthday is a public holiday and is celebrated in the first Monday in June.

God Save the Queen remains one of the National Anthems, along with God Defend New Zealand, but is rarely played.

Queen Elizabeth II's personal flag for New Zealand

[edit] Royal presence

Though all of the Royal Family currently lives abroad, members are still regular visitors to New Zealand.

These events are often marked with a variety of ceremonies, the granting of honours and general celebrations, even though these events are not always official holidays.

The Queen regularly undertakes tours of New Zealand to celebrate New Zealand culture, milestone anniversaries, military remembrances, etc. Other Royals will perform the same tasks in the Queen's place, from time to time, usually on a less grand scale or for events of a lesser importance. These tours are at the invitation of, organized, and paid for by the New Zealand government, provincial government, or a combination of both; hence, they are called "official tours" or "official visits."

Since 1869 there have been over fifty visits by a member of the Royal Family to New Zealand, though only five of those came before 1953.

The first was a visit by Prince Alfred in 1869.
Prince George, and his wife, Mary in 1901
Prince Edward in 1920.
Prince Albert, and wife Elizabeth, in 1927. and
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester in 1934-1935

Queen Elizabeth II was the first reigning monarch of New Zealand to set foot on New Zealand soil, during her 1953-54 Royal Visit, when she also delivered her Christmas Day message from Wellington.^[2]

Stamp Issue in 2001: Royal Visit 1953 - 40c, Royal Visit 1970 - 80c, Royal Visit 1977 - 90c, Royal Visit 1986, Royal Visit 1990 and the Official Portrait for New Zealand - $2.00

Other visits of Queen Elizabeth II:

6-18 February, 1963: During this tour the Queen attended celebrations at Waitangi and the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council was established as New Zealand's gift to the Queen.
12-30 March, 1970: The Queen participated in the James Cook bicentenary celebrations and introduced Prince Charles and Princess Anne to New Zealand. This tour marked the first 'walk-about' in a Royal visit.
30 January - 8 February 1974: The Queen attended, and indeed closed the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch and participated in New Zealand Day events at Waitangi.
22 February - 7 March 1977: This was a Commonwealth tour designed to mark the Queen's Silver Jubilee.
12-20 October, 1981: A short visit which followed a Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Melbourne.
22 February - 2 March 1986: A routine visit which coincided with the centennial of the New Zealand Police.
1-16 February, 1990: The Queen closed the Commonwealth Games in Auckland and took part in the events marking the sesquicentennial of the Treaty of Waitangi.
1-10 November, 1995: The Queen attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Auckland and the opening and refurbished of Parliament Buildings (2 November 1995).
22-27 February 2002: The Queen visits New Zealand as part of the commemoration of her 50th Jubilee.^[3]

During a visit to the National War Memorial in Wellington, Prince William places a poppy on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Further, other members of the Royal Family tour New Zealand either on official state duties, or at the request of charitable organizations, military regiments, and the like. For example, Princess Anne visited in 1990 to commemorate the 75th annivesary of the Gallipoli landings on Anzac Day, and Prince William visited in 2005, representing the Queen of New Zealand at VE and VJ Day commemorations.^[4] The Earl of Wessex, who also visited in 1990, with the Queen, to open the Commonwealth Games, spent two terms as a house tutor and junior master at the Collegiate School, in Wanganui, in 1982. ^[5]

[edit] Legal role

In New Zealand the legal personality of the state is sometimes referred to as "Her Majesty the Queen in Right of New Zealand", although the term "the Crown" more often associated with the government acting as a legal entity.

Similarly the oath of allegiance to New Zealand, sworn by new citizens, the New Zealand Defence Force, New Zealand Police officers, and parliamentarians, is an oath of allegiance to the monarch as sovereign of New Zealand, and to his/her heirs and successors according to law.

The Oath taker places their allegiance to the continuing State, its laws, etc., as embodied by the Monarch. As the legal personality of the State, the Monarch has obligations to the Oath taker. The Monarch's acceptance of her responsibilities to her subjects is symbolised by the Coronation Oath.

In addition the Monarch also serves as a symbol of the legitimacy of Courts of Justice, and of their judicial authority. An image of the Queen or the Coat of Arms of New Zealand is always displayed in New Zealand courtrooms.

[edit] The Crown and the Māori

Many Māori consider the Treaty of Waitangi to be their Magna Carta in New Zealand, and by most New Zealanders as the founding document of the nation, even if only as a national legend. The treaty, signed between over 500 Māori chiefs and the then British Crown, is viewed today as an agreement directly between the indigenous peoples and the New Zealand Crown. However, Maori constitutional lawyer Moana Jackson has stated that, because the New Zealand government (identified as "Kawanatanga" in the Treaty text) is the body politic enforcing the Treaty and making settlements, "Kawanatanga" is the actual party to the Treaty, not the Crown ^[6], despite the fact that the Crown alone holds the executive authority of government ^[7].

In the Māori language, the Queen is known as Kotuku, meaning "the white heron"; a significant and rare bird in New Zealand.^[8] In 1953, for her Coronation, she was given a kiwi feather Korowai (cloak).^[9] The Queen wears this cloak, and also speaks partly in Māori, when attending a Powhiri or Māori welcoming ceremony.^[10]

See also: Māori King Movement

[edit] Māori petitions to the Crown

Following the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, a number of petitions were made by Māori directly to the Crown in London. The first such petition occurred in 1882 by northern Chiefs, but was referred back to the New Zealand Government. In 1894, a second petition was made by King Tawhiao of the Kingitanga (Māori King Movement) to Queen Victoria. Māori felt they had a special relationship with their Treaty partner, Queen Victoria, in person, but in this case they met instead with Lord Derby at the Colonial Office who referred the petition back to the New Zealand Government, on the grounds that the Imperial Government no longer had responsibility for such matters. The New Zealand Government dismissed it.

All subsequent petitions taken to the United Kingdom were referred back to the New Zealand Government on the grounds that the Imperial Government no longer had the responsibility for such matters^[11]; after the passage of the Statute of Westminster in 1931, which divided the Crown and ended the right of the United Kingdom Parliament to legislate for New Zealand without the latters consent, this concept became law. Later in the 20th century, a group of Wanganui Māori petitioned the Queen in 1977 over their claims for the Whanganui river to no avail ^[12].

In 1983, the Mana Motuhake Party attempted to directly petition the Queen to "honour the Treaty", but the Party were refused by the New Zealand Government. In response, Māori activist Dun Mihaka bared his buttocks at the Queen.

[edit] The Crown and the New Zealand Defence Force

	Allegiance [by Defence Force personnel is to] the Sovereign, [however] loyalty [is] to the Government of the day…The Defence Force and the disposition of those Forces are at the decision… of Her Majesty's Ministers for the time being.
— State Services Commission, December 2001^[13]

The Crown retains a prominent place within the New Zealand Defence Force, which consists of the New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Air Force, and Royal New Zealand Navy. Section 5 of the Defence Act 1990 says: "The Governor-General may from time to time, in the name and on behalf of the Sovereign, continue to raise and maintain armed forces, either in New Zealand or elsewhere..."

The Sovereign is head of the armed services. The Governor-General is styled Commander-in-Chief in and over New Zealand, although no specific duties attach to the latter office that does not belong to the office as representative of the Queen.

	It is conceivable, although extremely unlikely, that a situation could arise in which the Defence Force was unable to identify or to communicate with the lawful Government of the day. In a major crisis of this kind, the loyalty of the Defence Force to the Queen, through her representative the Governor-General, would provide important certainty and continuity for the Defence Force and the people of New Zealand.
— Ministry of Justice, May 2006^[14]

The Sovereign's position and role in the military is reflected by New Zealand naval vessels bearing the prefix Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship (HMNZS) (subsequently His Majesty's New Zealand Ship during the reign of a king), and all members of the armed forces must swear allegiance to the Queen and her heirs and successors. This means total and unconditional loyalty to the New Zealand Government and the Crown. This reaffirmation of loyalty to the Sovereign, as Head of State, also ensures that the loyalty of servicemen and women as serving members of the Armed Services, regardless of their personal political beliefs, is not given to any one political party, but to the country in the form of the Head of State

The Queen inspects a combined military guard of honour upon arrival at Wellington Airport for her Jubilee tour of New Zealand, 2002

Saluting by soldiers is recognition of the Queen's Commission, being indirectly a salute to the Sovereign through the individual holding Her Majesty the Queen's authority. By returning the salute; it is not only acknowledgment of a salute to the officer personally, but recognition of the fact that through an officer, members have given an outward sign of their loyalty to Her Majesty the Queen, New Zealand and the New Zealand Defence Force.

Members of the Royal Family have presided over many military ceremonies, including Trooping of the Colours, inspections of the troops, and anniversaries of key battles. Whenever Her Majesty is in Wellington she lays a wreath at the New Zealand War Memorial.

Members of the Royal Family have personal experience of life in the British Armed Forces.

As Princess Elizabeth, The Queen joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1945, becoming the first female member of the Royal Family to be a full-time active member of the Armed Services.

	No-one seems too sure about whether it is possible to be a republican and a serving soldier, but at the very least it must involve an ability to hold two quite contradictory sets of views.
—BBC, June 2002

The Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales have served in the Royal Navy. The Prince of Wales also trained in the Royal Air Force as a pilot. Prince William and Prince Harry have both undergone Army officer training at Sandhurst.

The Duke of York served for over 20 years as an officer in the Royal Navy before leaving the Service in 2001, and is the most recent member of the Royal Family to see active service

Members of the Royal Family are Colonel-in-Chief; of many New Zealand regiments including: Corps of Royal New Zealand Engineers; Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment; Royal New Zealand Army Logistic Regiment; Royal New Zealand Corps of Signals amongst many others. For a more comprehensive list see: List of New Zealand organisations with royal patronage:Honorary Military Appointments

[edit] New Zealand Royal Family

Further information: British Royal Family

The New Zealand Royal Family is a group of people closely related to the New Zealand Monarch; it is a non-resident royal family, those who compromise the group live in the United Kingdom. They carry the style His or Her Majesty (HM), His or Her Royal Highness (HRH), or sometimes The Right Honourable.

Members of the Royal Family in the direct line of succession owe allegiance to the Sovereign in right of New Zealand. As such, they are New Zealand subjects, although not strictly New Zealand citizens, and thus do not have an automatic right of abode in New Zealand.

The current New Zealand Royal Family are members of the House of Windsor. Though the New Zealand Crown is recognised as legally separate from the UK Crown, the two countries (along with the sixteen other Commonwealth Realms) are in a personal union relationship, meaning they share the same Monarchy. Thus all the members of the New Zealand Royal Family also comprise the British Royal Family.

[edit] Awards

Aside from awards which are personal gifts of the Sovereign, members of the Royal Family are commonly awarded New Zealand honours on a substantive, though sometimes additional (e.g. above the statutory limit) basis (e.g., Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was an additional, not honorary, member of the Order of New Zealand, and various members of the Royal Family are substantive companions of the Queen's Service Order), reflecting the fact that, in theory, all the Queen's subjects, not just New Zealand citizens, are eligible for New Zealand honours:

[edit] History

Monarchy in New Zealand dates back to the first half of the nineteenth century.

After Captain Cook's exploration of New Zealand in the late eighteenth century, an increasing number of European settlers came to New Zealand. In 1833, with growing lawlessness amongst traders and settlers, the British government appointed James Busby as British Resident to protect British trading interests.

Despite Busby's presence, trouble increased. In 1840 the British Government sent Captain William Hobson to New Zealand as Lieutenant Governor, to acquire the sovereignty of New Zealand, by way of a treaty with the native Māori chiefs.

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on 6 February 1840, at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands. Over 500 Māori Chiefs signed the treaty as it was taken around the country during the next eight months.

Following the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, the islands of New Zealand became a British colony.

In 1907 New Zealand achieved the status of Dominion, which meant it was a country of the British Empire and later the Commonwealth of Nations, with autonomy in domestic and foreign affairs. The term fell into disuse after the Second World War.

In 1917, the powers, duties and responsibilities of the Governor-General (as the Sovereign's representative) and the Executive Council were set out in a Royal letters patent.

In 1926, the Balfour Declaration at the Imperial Conference in London confirmed the status of New Zealand, along with that of Australia, the Irish Free State, Canada, South Africa and Newfoundland, as self-governing Dominions under the British Crown.

The Statute of Westminster in 1931, an act of the British Parliament, gave legal form to this declaration. It gave New Zealand and other Dominions the authority to make their own laws. New Zealand ratified the Statute in 1947, after the passing of the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947

The Royal Titles Act 1953 first introduced a New Zealand royal title for use by the Queen, and the Royal Titles Act 1974 altering the style borne by the Queen in New Zealand.

	I look forward to continuing to serve to the best of my ability in the years to come. It fills me with great pride to stand before you here today to express my lasting respect and deep affection for this country and for New Zealanders everywhere.
—Her Majesty The Queen, 25th February 2002

A personal flag for use by the Queen in New Zealand was adopted in 1962. It features the shield design of the New Zealand coat of arms in the form of an oblong or square. Superimposed in the centre is a dark blue roundel bearing an initial E surmounted by a Royal crown within a gold chaplet of roses.

More recently, the Constitution Act 1986 has become the principal formal statement of New Zealand's constitution. This Act recognises that the Queen, the Sovereign in right of New Zealand, is the Head of State of New Zealand and that the Governor-General appointed by her is her representative. Each can, in general, exercise all the powers of the other. However the appointment of the governor-general is only done by the Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister.

Prince William began his first official visit to New Zealand on June 30, 2005, staying in the country for an 11 day tour. While there he laid a wreath at the National War Memorial to mark the end of the second World War, and met with war veterans. William also attended an All Blacks practice, lunched with them, and watched a match against the British and Irish Lions. He then visited an elementary school in Arrowtown, and later represented his mother at a wreath laying ceremony in Auckland.^[15]

On November 11, 2006, the Queen dedicated the New Zealand war memorial in London's Hyde Park, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, the Duke of York, and the Princess Royal, as well as the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark, and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair. The Queen reviewed a Royal Guard of Honour, formed by the largest contingent of New Zealand forces seen in the UK since since Her Majesty's Coronation in 1953.^[16]

[edit] Monarchs of New Zealand

A list of monarchs of New Zealand:

Hanover/Saxe-Coburg-Gotha/Windsor line
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom 1840^[17]-1901: Signed Treaty of Waitangi
Edward VII of the United Kingdom 1901-1910
George V of the United Kingdom 1910-1936: Signed Statute of Westminster, 1931
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom 1936
George VI of the United Kingdom 1936-1952
Elizabeth II of New Zealand 1952-present: First to be titled separately as Queen of New Zealand.

[edit] Debate

Main article: Republicanism in New Zealand

Unlike in Australia, where republican sentiment has been strong, there is little agitation for ending the role of the monarchy in New Zealand. There was some reduction in support for the monarchy during the 1990s.

None of the major political parties currently in Parliament have a stated policy of creating a republic, although some Members of Parliament have publicly expressed their opposition to New Zealand remaining a monarchy; including the current Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark.

The New Zealand public is still in favour of the retention of the monarchy, with recent polls showing it to have between 50 and 60% support ^[18]. The polls indicate that while many New Zealanders see the monarchy as being of little day-to-day relevance, the institution still enjoys the support of many New Zealanders, particularly older (those born before the Second World War) New Zealanders. Support for becoming a republic is still the view of only around a third of the population. With the popularity of the current monarch, and the position of the Treaty of Waitangi under a republic remaining a concern to many Māori and other New Zealanders alike, and the question of what constitutional form a republic might take unresolved, support for a New Zealand Head of state may not likely to crystallise into a majority for some time.

New Zealand has two high-profile special-interest groups representing both sides of the debate, who frequently argue the issue in the media: The Monarchist League of New Zealand and Republican Movement of Aotearoa New Zealand.

[edit] New Zealand Organisations with Royal Patronage

To receive Royal Patronage an organisation must prove to be long lasting, and to be of the highest standard in their field. These organisations such as the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association, have received patronage from various monarchs and their families.

Further information: List of New Zealand organisations with royal patronage