Queen of New Zealand

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Template:Politicsboxend Image:New Zealand Royal Standard.gif New Zealand's Head of State is Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand. New Zealand shares the Sovereign with a number of Commonwealth realms (see also Realm of New Zealand). The Constitution Act 1986 declares that "The Sovereign in right of New Zealand is the head of State of New Zealand, and shall be known by the royal style and titles proclaimed from time to time."

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.

The Queen of New Zealand is the font of honours (see also New Zealand Honours System) and is the head of the armed forces and patron of a number of societies in the country.

The Queen's constitutional roles have been almost entirely delegated to the Governor-General of New Zealand. When the Queen has visited New Zealand she has presided over the opening of Parliament, and has performed other acts normally delegated to the Governor-General. The only constitutional act she regularly performs with respect to New Zealand is to appoint a new Governor-General, which she does on the advice of the Prime Minister of the day.

Royal succession is governed by the English Act of Settlement of 1701, which is part of New Zealand constitutional law.

1 Symbols of Monarchy
2 Future of the Monarchy
3 Māori Queen
4 See also
5 External links

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Symbols of Monarchy

Image:NZdollar Queen.jpgReferences to the monarchy are commonplace in public life in New Zealand. There are references to the Crown (which forms part of the country's coat of arms) in legal documents, the use of the term 'Royal', as in the Royal New Zealand Navy and Air Force, and oaths taken by politicians, judges, members of the armed forces and new citizens are to the Queen. Unlike in the United Kingdom, the Queen's Official Birthday is a public holiday. The Queen's portrait appears on 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. The only exception is a special $10 banknote produced in 2000, which also contained a number of other novel 'test' features.

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Future of the Monarchy

Unlike in Australia, where republican sentiment has been strong, there is little agitation for ending the role of the monarchy in New Zealand. Whilst there was some reduction in support for the monarchy during the 1990s, the New Zealand public is still in favour of the retention of the monarchy, with recent polls showing it to have between 50 and 63% support. This indicates that while many New Zealanders may see the monarchy as being of little day-to-day relevance, support for becoming a republic is still the view of only around a third of the population. With 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 republic is not likely to crystallise into a majority.

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Māori Queen

New Zealand has a second queen - the Māori Queen. This non-constitutional role and title is held by the leader of the Tainui iwi. The current Māori Queen is Te Atairangi Kaahu.

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