‘Ah there you are!’ Queen holds Zoom with incoming New Zealand Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro
The Queen held a video call with the incoming Governor-General of New Zealand on Tuesday morning as she wished her luck ahead of her swearing-in ceremony next week.
She welcomed Dame Cindy Kiro, the first indigenous woman appointed to the role, with an exclamation of surprise, as she raised her finger and remarked: “Ah, there you are … Good evening.”
Dame Cindy, 63, replied: “Good morning.”
Suddenly realising the time difference, the Queen smiled and said: “Oh, of course, it’s good morning, isn’t it, to you?”
She described the Governor-General designate’s swearing-in on Thursday as a “big day”. Dame Cindy remarked: “It will be a big day. Something that you’ve gone through many times, with many governor-generals.”
The Queen chuckled and said: “Indeed I have, yes.”
☀️🌙 Good evening, @GovGeneralNZ!
🇳🇿Yesterday, The Queen spoke to Dame Cindy Kiro, who will this week be sworn in as the new Governor General of New Zealand.
🎖The Queen invested Dame Cindy with the traditional Insignia of the Governor General. pic.twitter.com/q1VhI5ReYQ— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 19, 2021
During the conference, the monarch invested Dame Cindy with the traditional insignia of the Governor-General.
The Governor-General is the sovereign’s personal representative in New Zealand and typically stays in the role for five years.
Dame Cindy Kiro was announced by the Queen as the new Governor-General in May, taking over the role from Dame Patsy Reddy.
She has previously held various professorships at multiple New Zealand universities.
In 2003, she became the first woman, and MÄori, to be appointed as Children’s Commissioner in New Zealand.
Most recently, she served as Pro Vice-Chancellor MÄori at the University of Auckland and chief executive at the Royal Society Te ApÄrangi.
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What the papers say – October 15