Motions — Congratulatory Message—Engagement of His Royal Highness Prince Harry of Wales and Meghan Markle

I seek leave to move a motion without notice congratulating Prince Harry on his engagement to Meghan Markle.

💬 Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought for that purpose. Is there any objection? There appears to be none.

I move, That the House congratulate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement and wish them many years of happiness together.

I’m delighted to stand on behalf, in particular, of the New Zealand Labour Party and congratulate Prince Harry and Ms Markle on the announcement of their engagement. Today, I had the privilege of writing to the couple to offer them the warmest congratulations, on behalf of the New Zealand Government but also on behalf of the New Zealand people. You would be hard-pressed to find someone, I’m sure, who wouldn’t delight in the happiness of a newly engaged couple, but more than that, by virtue of Prince Harry’s unique affinity with New Zealand, this union is even more special. Many of us will remember his visit to New Zealand in 2015. He’s always shown an understanding of and connection with our corner of the world, and I’m sure we all look forward to welcoming the happy couple to New Zealand sometime in the future. Till then, we offer them our heartiest congratulations.

I join with the Prime Minister in extending my warmest congratulations, and those of the National Party, to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their engagement. Many New Zealanders are ardent followers of the royal family, and they will simply be delighted with this fantastic news.

As the Prime Minister has indicated, Prince Harry came to New Zealand in 2015 on his first official visit. He went to Stewart Island, met the Christchurch Student Volunteer Army, learnt our own army’s haka, and took in the atmosphere of a Hurricanes game in Wellington. He made headlines at the time with his comments at Stewart Island’s Oban pub about his search for the right woman. No doubt, many are today disappointed.

The monarchy is a very important institution for New Zealand, and the level of public interest in this event underlines the widespread public interest. We want to congratulate the pair and wish them a happy and enduring relationship, and we agree with the Prime Minister that we should take the opportunity to invite them to New Zealand.

We do not think in New Zealand First that these happy occasions should be politicised, and so we support entirely what the Prime Minister has said.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to acknowledge the longstanding and shared histories and constitutional ties between Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The bonds are deep and genuine, and a critical part of our collective identity as New Zealanders and the development of our society, our legal systems, and our institutions. The Green Party, and I personally, would like to send our best wishes to His Royal Highness Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and to their families and to the people of the United Kingdom as they celebrate this news.

On behalf of the ACT Party, I’d like to say that we also congratulate the happy couple, wish them all the best, and in great Kiwi spirit, we’d like to send them a happy “good on you, mate”.

Motion agreed to.

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