“Such a treat”: Jacinda Ardern “catches up” with the Queen over candid call
As New Zealand lifted its lockdown on Tuesday, Jacinda Ardern spoke with Queen Elizabeth II over the phone to provide an update on how Kiwis were coping with the coronavirus pandemic.
In an Instagram post, the prime minister shared that the Queen wanted to “catch up and see how everyone in New Zealand was getting on” after the country eased restrictions from level 4 to level 3.
Ardern said it was “such a treat” to speak to the 94-year-old monarch.
“Her affection for New Zealand, her interest in what’s happening here and her memory of places and events that are special to us never ceases to amaze me,” she wrote.
The Queen’s team also marked the phone call with a Twitter post.
“This morning the Queen spoke to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern via telephone from Windsor Castle,” the post read alongside a photo of the two women at a Buckingham Palace meeting in 2018.
Earlier this month, the Queen encouraged Kiwis to “kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui” – to be strong, be brave, be steadfast, in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
“As people across New Zealand and the Commonwealth are experiencing unprecedented changes to their lives, concerns for family and friends, and financial uncertainty, you are in my thoughts and prayers,” she said in a statement.
“I send my enduring thanks to those who continue to put the service of others above themselves, whether by staying at home, providing essential services, or by caring for the most vulnerable.”
There have been 1,476 confirmed cases of coronavirus in New Zealand, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.