Tomorrow – Wednesday 4th – Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, arrive in New Zealand for a week-long visit. Prince Charles is the Prince of Wales and Camilla is the Duchess of Cornwall. Prince Charles is the heir to the throne which means he will become King when the Queen dies.
The couple will arrive in Wellington then visit Dunedin on Thursday. Prince Charles will visit a wildlife park which has many native New Zealand birds and reptiles. He is very interested in conservation and protection of endangered plants and animals.
The couple visit Nelson and the local market on Saturday. Stall holders at the market have a list of rules about how to behave. No selfies allowed and the couple should be addressed as ‘Your Royal Highness’ the first time then after that ‘sir’ or ‘ma’am’ which rhymes with ‘jam’. Ladies should curtsey to the Duchess.
Prince Charles then flies to Westport on Saturday afternoon to watch a military exercise.
On Sunday, the couple meet the Maori King in Waikato then travel to Auckland. They will spend Monday in New Plymouth. They leave on Tuesday for Australia.
The Queen has visited New Zealand 10 times in the past but now in her 80s she does not travel on long flights. Instead, Prince Charles, Prince William or Prince Harry visit Commonwealth countries on behalf of the Queen. She is still our Head of State.
Vocabulary
• reptiles – lizards, gecko, tuatara
• selfies – photos of yourself with the royals
• Commonwealth countries were once part of the British Empire. There are now 53 members of the Commonwealth. The Queen is their Head of State. The Governor-General represents the Queen in New Zealand.
Grammar
Note: you can use present tense for appointments in the future e.g. They leave on Tuesday.
Pronunciation
Heir – do not pronounce the ‘h’; it’s the same as ‘air’
Questions
1. Australia has decided not to have knights (Sir) and dames, saying they are not part of a modern society. New Zealand did the same then brought them back again. Probably the captain of the All Blacks – Richie McCaw – will become Sir Richie in the New Year’s Honours list. Do you think we should keep this tradition or do the same as Australia?
2. Is it strange to welcome royal visits but want to get rid of our flag?
3. The royal family does not cost New Zealand anything except on official visits here. Are there some advantages to New Zealand in keeping the Queen as our Head of State?