\u201cBut if you ask the question, many would say it\u2019s something that should be in our future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dame Jacinda Ardern returned to the topic of New Zealand’s constitutional ties to the British monarchy in a recent interview with the Times. Photo \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
Despite that, Ardern said any change to New Zealand\u2019s constitutional framework would \u201ctake time\u201d, particularly given the Crown\u2019s role as a signatory to the Treaty of Waitangi.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a complex picture because of the Crown\u2019s relationship with indigenous New Zealanders,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ardern is no stranger to the conversation around New Zealand\u2019s constitutional arrangements, saying in 2021 and again in 2022 that New Zealand was likely to become a republic within her lifetime<\/a>.<\/p>\n New Zealand is one of 15 Commonwealth realms that share King Charles III as monarch and head of state, with the King represented in New Zealand by the Governor-General.<\/p>\n Several British outlets framed Ardern\u2019s comments as significant, with GB News publishing a story with the headline, \u201cEx-New Zealand PM sounds anti-monarchy alarm after revealing details from secret chat with the late Queen\u201d.<\/p>\n The Daily Mail also reported on the remarks, while Pakistan\u2019s Geo News labelled Ardern\u2019s pro-republic support as a \u201cbombshell\u201d.<\/p>\n Ardern\u2019s reflections on a conversation she had with the late Queen Elizabeth II around how to balance motherhood with leadership responsibilities also drew renewed attention.<\/p>\n Arden told the Times that when she was pregnant, she asked the Queen: \u201cHow did you do it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe said in a rather resolute way, \u2018Well, you just get on with it\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was right. What she was saying was there\u2019s no big secret to it, you just take every day as it comes.<\/p>\n \u201cThat simple, practical advice was exactly what I needed.\u201d<\/p>\n Ardern served as New Zealand\u2019s Prime Minister from 2017 until her resignation in January 2023.<\/p>\n She relocated to Sydney with her young family earlier this year after spending time in the United States and UK, telling the Sydney Morning Herald its \u201cproximity to home\u201d was a key drawcard<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019d been far away for a while, and we wanted to be closer to friends and family, but also wanted to get back to a life that was, you know, a bit like what we might have in New Zealand.<\/p>\n \u201cBut we don\u2019t have a set timeframe. We\u2019ve never been much for five-year plans.\u201d<\/p>\n