Do you know the name of our current Governor General? I heard on the 6am news that both the Prime Minister and the Governor General are self-isolating because they were on a flight with someone who’s now tested positive for Covid. My immediate thought was that they’ve both got big houses with plenty of bathrooms.
My next thought was what is the name of the Governor General? The previous one was Dame Patsy Reddy (not Riggir – she’s a singer). A new Governor General was installed a few months ago, and I remembered she was a wahine Māori, but had to wait for a later bulletin to remind me it’s Dame Cindy Kiro. With pandemic precautions and statistics dominating the news she’s had a low profile.
When I was at Grammar School we had a visit from Lady Fergusson, the then Governor General’s wife, and I remember we were all obliged to practise curtsying beforehand. It’s good to know we now have homegrown Governors General, and I don’t imagine Dame Cindy will expect people to curtsy.
While I’m not an active republican, I presume Aotearoa will eventually divorce itself from the monarchy. The defection of Harry and the dereliction of Andrew have detracted from any sense of respectful awe that may previously have existed. I feel some compassion for Charles, older than I am, and still waiting to fulfill his purpose in life. As far as I’m concerned he’s welcome to have Camilla as his consorting Queen.
William so far has an unblotted copybook and will eventually succeed to the throne, but I doubt Aotearoa will remain part of his realm. What do you think?
Time when the current Queen has gone
for Aotearoa to move on
Ruth's Reflections 
We’d be wise to maintain our connection to the British monarchy, as much as it has fallen from grace, because without it we’re not only a tiny isolated country at the bottom of the world, we’d have absolutely zero clout as well. Not that we have much, anyway, but being part of the British Commonwealth makes us part of something bigger, instead of going it completely alone. Basically, in the big scheme of things, with it we’re something, without it we’re not.
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We could be part of the Commonwealth without having the English monarch – some other countries do, e.g. Barbados.
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I can remember seeing Sir Bernard Fergusson when I was very young. I can’t remember what the occasion was – it’s far too distant for that part of the memory to have been retained. Slightly tangentially, I can remember being a Brownie and going with my friend to a jamboree at the Addington Racecourse. Olave Lady Baden-Powell was the guest of honour. I remember being puzzled by the name Olave for a woman.
As for the monarchy and Repulicanism, I don’t have strong feelings either way, but like you, I imagine we will discard the British monarchy eventually. Another early memory I have was of the Queen and Prince Phillip visiting Christchurch. Google tells me it would have been in 1963, so I would have been 5 or 6. It was tremendously exciting, and my brother and I were given little Union Jack flags to take along when we joined the crowds to see them drive by – it was on Memorial Avenue. As they came past I waved my little flag, and Dad said, ‘Look, Prince Phillip is waving back at you!’ There is still a tiny part of me who believes that was true, even though it clearly wasn’t. Childhood memories are wonderful things ☺
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I remember Prince Philip coming to Christchurch, sometime in the 1950s. He came on 16 December, probably because that was Canterbury Anniversary Day. It was also my mother’s birthday, and I was told he would be coming to her birthday afternoon tea, but I didn’t quite believe it, and of course he didn’t come.
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