Prince William makes republican Jacinda Ardern a dame

Dame Jacinda Ardern, wearing a traditional Māori kākahu cloak, poses with her medal and insignia after being officially appointed a Dame Grand Commander of the New Zealand Order of Merit at Windsor Castle. Photo / AFP
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern has officially received her damehood at an investiture ceremony before Prince William at Windsor Castle.
Under the click of cameras, Ardern took on the title of Dame Grand Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit wearing a traditional Māori kākahu cloak.
After receiving the damehood, Ardern said it was a “huge honour”.
“You know, I feel really humbled by the chance to be here with my family and, really, I see it as an acknowledgement of them and of every person I have worked with and everyone who has supported me.”
She said that group includes a “very large number” of New Zealanders.
Of the royal honour, Ardern told the Press Association news agency she was “incredibly honoured and very humbled” and that she felt it acknowledged her family, her former colleagues and New Zealanders who gave her the “extraordinary privilege of serving them for five years”.
Regarding her work since leaving office, Ardern said she had been supporting conservationism in marine environments and Antarctica, writing a book, teaching and “supporting others who want to practise empathetic leadership”.
“But I would sum it up with sort of just trying to spread a little kindness in the world,” she added.
Ardern said in 2021 when Prime Minister that she thought Kiwis would ditch the monarchy and become a republic in the next few years, but added that she “never sensed urgency” from people in New Zealand to make it happen.
“I’ve been very clear that despite being a republican, I’m not of the view that in the here-and-now in my term of office, that this is something New Zealanders feel particularly strongly about,” she said then.
Ardern was granted the title last year in the King’s Birthday Honours. However, she said travel commitments had meant she hadn’t been able to make it to an investiture ceremony on home soil.
“It looked like that would be the case again this year, when in the margins of an Earthshot meeting the possibility of having the ceremony in the UK was raised with me.”
Having been “lucky” to get to know and work with Prince William over the years, she said, she accepted the Windsor Castle investiture and also had her family with her.
“But I knew there would be pieces of home I would miss,” Ardern said, adding she was so humbled and thankful that Whaea Esther from Ngāti Ranana joined her and allowed her to once again share in one of Ngāti Ranana’s kākahu for the ceremony.
A friend, an extraordinary advocate for the environment and now a Dame Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the State.@jacindaardern, it was a privilege to present you with this deserved award at Windsor today! pic.twitter.com/Hj7Nhtxki2
She called it “a really special day”.
As New Zealand’s 40th Prime Minister, Ardern served from October 2017 to January 2023.
She came to power in a coalition Government before, three years later, Labour was able to form a majority Government on its own after winning a historic 50% of the vote, which had never been done under MMP before.
Ardern led the country through the Covid pandemic and the horrific Christchurch mosque attacks and has been taking part in global initiatives to tackle climate change and support emerging leaders.
Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.