New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who is known for his views on the monarchy, met with Prince William during his recent visit to the United Kingdom. The meeting between the two was documented by the official social account of the Prince and Princess of Wales, which shared a picture of the encounter.
Hipkins has previously stated that he believes his country should become a republic, but he has no immediate plans to pursue that goal. Despite his opposition to the monarchy, he has pledged allegiance to King Charles III at the upcoming Coronation.
Before departing New Zealand for London, Hipkins spoke openly about his views on the monarchy and his desire for New Zealand to become an independent country. He has been clear about not supporting the monarchy’s continued rule over New Zealand, which is one of just 14 countries that still hold the British monarch as their head of state.
During his visit to the UK, Hipkins confirmed that he would be meeting with Charles and “several members” of the royal family, but he stated that he would not discuss his views on the monarchy with the Prince of Wales. The prime minister also clarified that he has no intention of pursuing secession as the leader of his country.
The meeting between Prince William and Chris Hipkins has been seen by some as significant due to Hipkins’ views on the monarchy, particularly as he has previously expressed a desire to remove Prince Charles as head of state. Despite this, it appears that the two were able to have a cordial conversation, and the Instagram post documenting their meeting was captioned with a message of gratitude from the Prince and Princess of Wales for Hipkins’ visit to the UK.
