As lockdown ended on Tuesday and New Zealand moved into level 3 of the COVID-19 alert system, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made time for a very special phone call.
In a post on Ardern’s Instagram, the Prime Minister revealed that she had received a note from the Queen asking to catch-up.
“A few days ago we got a wee note to say that the Queen wanted to catch up and see how everyone in New Zealand was getting on in the midst of Covid-19,” Ardern posted on Instagram late tonight,” Ardern wrote.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_hW3YQAbOp/?utm_source=ig_embed
“It was such a treat to speak with Her Majesty tonight.
“Her affection for New Zealand, her interest in what’s happening here and her memory of places and events that are special to us never ceases to amaze me.”
The Royal family shared the news of the phonecall on social media too.
🇳🇿 This morning, The Queen spoke to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern via telephone from Windsor Castle.
📸 HM with Ardern at Buckingham Palace during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2018. pic.twitter.com/GxPkd9XS8b
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) April 28, 2020
Earlier in the month, when New Zealand were just 13 days into lockdown, the Queen issued a special message for New Zealand – “kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui” – to be strong, be brave, be steadfast.
“As people across New Zealand and the Commonwealth are experiencing unprecedented changes to their lives, concerns for family and friends, and financial uncertainty, you are in my thoughts and prayers,” she wrote.
“I send my enduring thanks to those who continue to put the service of others above themselves, whether by staying at home, providing essential services, or by caring for the most vulnerable.
“Through this sense of community, dedication and faith, her Majesty is confident New Zealanders will “rise to the challenge and overcome”, she said.