King Charles III has given a prestigious new honor that's left some New Zealanders baffled.
- Queen Camilla has been given a top honor by King Charles III, but not everyone agrees with the acknowledgment.
- The Queen Consort was made an additional member of the Order of New Zealand, which is the nation's most prestigious honor, on Monday.
- In other royal news, How Princess Diana’s death has shaped Queen Camilla’s approach to royal engagements.
Queen Camilla was given the highest honor in the King's Birthday Honors, but not everyone approves of the decision.
The 75-year-old royal has been made an additional member of the Order of New Zealand, which is the nation's most prestigious honor. Membership is limited to just 20 living persons, some of whom include film director Peter Jackson and opera singer Malvina Major. The honor was created in 1987 "to recognize outstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacity" and carries an extravagant insignia of an oval medallion of the country's coat of arms.
The Queen Consort has visited New Zealand on multiple occasions during her royal career, with her most recent trip taking place in 2019. Joined by King Charles III, the mum-of-two spent six days in the country carrying out a variety of public engagements. The couple notably visited Christchurch, Northland, Auckland, and Kaikōura, and met with the former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
In an official statement released by the government, Camilla was acknowledged for her engagement "with organizations aligned with her charitable work and interests" in the Pacific Ocean nation.
The King's decision to give the top honor to Camilla has been met with some backlash in New Zealand.
Some people questioned how deserving she was of the award, which has historically been reserved for native Kiwis.
"Queen Camilla's inclusion in today's honours hits a bit of a bum note tbh. I'm sure she's a perfectly fine person but her "services to New Zealand" (visiting 3 times and saying hi to some charities) don't stack up against the other worthies on that list," one person wrote on Twitter.
"Queen Camilla given highest honour “for services to New Zealand”?! How ridiculous!" another person complained, while one person said, "I have nothing against Queen Camilla, and I wish her and Charlie a nice life together, but there's no way she deserved to be appointed to the Order of New Zealand."
Meanwhile, Jacinda Ardern has been made a Dame Grand Companion of the Order for her own outstanding services to the state.
