The Queen is often spotted on royal excursions at home and abroad to promote the royal family. Some of Queen Elizabeth II’s visits, in her tenure as the UK’s longest-serving monarch, have been on political and diplomatic missions while others, such as her trips to the Commonwealth, aim to preserve the UK’s historic links with such member states. The Queen has often visited the Commonwealth nation of New Zealand yet, when one such visit opportunity occurred, she passed it down to her eldest grandson Prince William. The reason for this has now come to light in royal biographer Robert Hardman’s new book, Queen of the World.
He wrote of Prince Philip’s wife’s “deliberate plan” for the trip, and said: “For his first official overseas tour, in January 2010, Prince William was asked by the Queen to open the new Supreme Court in Wellington on her behalf.
“New Zealand’s Prime Minister at the time was John Key.
“Now Sir John, he explains that she had thought about opening it herself.
“Her decision not to was nothing to do with long-haul travel, but because she thought the time had come to promote the younger generation.”
Robert continued by quoting John, who said: ‘She could have come to open the Supreme Court because she had come a year later to Australia.
“‘It wasn’t that she couldn’t handle the flight.
“‘She really wanted to introduce the young royals to the Commonwealth.
“‘She had a very deliberate plan.’”
Prince William, 35, was later to make another visit to the nation following the 2011 earthquake in Christchurch.
Of that trip, where the dad of three also substituted his grandmother, 92, Robert wrote: “The Queen wanted Prince William to extend her condolences to all of them.”
He added the mission was also one of “great sensitivity.”
After having forged strong relationships with the country, Prince William again visited New Zealand last week, on behalf of the UK monarch, under equally sombre circumstances.
His trip follows the devastating Christchurch mosque massacre last month which killed 50 people.
On Thursday, he attended Auckland’s Civic Centre to pay his respects to Anzac veterans.
The Duke visited the Al Noor mosque after speaking to attack survivors.
At the mosque, he said in a speech: “To the people of New Zealand and the people of Christchurch – to our Muslim community and all those who have rallied to your side: I stand with you in gratitude for what you have taught the world these past weeks.
“An act of violence was designed to change New Zealand, but instead the grief of a nation revealed just how deep the values of warmth, compassion and love really run.”
