SUPPORT OUR JOURNALISM: Please consider donating to keep our website running and free for all - thank you!

State & Ceremonial

New Zealand PM John Key defends royal remarks

After being called a “galloping colonial clot” by the British tabloid The Daily Mail, New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key is defending himself at the suggestion that the 52 year old breached royal protocol by revealing details of his weekend with the Queen.

John Key

John Key said he wouldn’t wrap his fish and chips in the Daily Mail.

Mr Key stayed with the Queen and her family at Balmoral Castle on the 21st and 22nd of September where he and his wife had a tour of the estate with the Queen in her Land Rover. He also revealed Prince Philip helped with the barbecue.

Prime Minister Key also revealed he had met Prince George while at the castle, the first world leader to do so. Mr Key’s son, Max, went grouse shooting with the Duke of Cambridge, and his daughter, Stephanie, went for a walk with the Duchess.

The Daily Mail accused Mr Key (or ‘Mr Kay’ as they incorrectly spelt it) broke royal protocol by releasing the details of his trip along with a photo of himself and the Queen in her sitting room. The Mail were apparently unaware that New Zealand media were allowed to film and photograph the pair. This is a privilege denied to the British press which has tensions with the royal family.

The newspaper described Mr Key being “totally chuffed to bits, glowing nuclear pink with pleasure”. The Queen however, had her head bowed. The paper then went into a full critique of the Queen’s interior design.

John Key defended himself saying he was in line with the palace expectations. When asked about his thoughts on The Daily Mail he simply replied “I wouldn’t wrap my fish and chips in it.”

photo credit: nznationalparty via photopin cc