Rt Hon Chris Hipkins

Prime Minister

Parliament Buildings

Wellington

Dear Prime Minister

i am writing to express our family's strong disapproval of your decision to permit the award of additional membership of the Order of New Zealand to Queen Consort, Camilla, in today's honours’ announcements.

Camilla, the former Mrs Parker-Bowles, has visited New Zealand briefly only three times and has formed only the most tenuous of relationships with New Zealand and our people. To suggest that the award is 'for services to New Zealand' begs the question 'what services?' The list of supposed services adduced in support of the award is thin in the extreme and represents a great disservice to the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who have in fact made major contributions to our country.

Having just been crowned Queen Consort, she must wonder why it was necessary to add this further distinction from a country and people she barely knows.

It is time to allow New Zealanders to have a democratic say, via a referendum, on the future of the monarchy in New Zealand. We have had no say in choosing our Head of State, Charles, and Camilla as Queen, unlike the vast majority of democracies around the world.

Yours sincerely,

Peter Hamilton