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Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern met with Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, at Kensington Palace.
Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, has hosted Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Kensington Palace.
Ardern said she also planned to call Prince Charles, the next in line to the throne, while in the UK.
Kensington Palace issued a statement shortly before midday Saturday (local time), confirming the duke “held an audience” with Ardern.
The prime minister did not meet with Queen Elizabeth II while in the UK, given the Queen has stepped back from most royal duties in recent years.
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She is 96 years old and now lives mostly at Windsor Castle, to the west of London.
Ardern said she admired the Queen, who is New Zealand’s official head of state, but enjoyed meeting with Charles.
“When it comes to Her Majesty, I channel the exact same sentiment that you heard in New Zealand during the jubilee celebrations – such admiration for her decades of service to New Zealand in particular,” she said.
“I can tell you from the engagements that I’ve been privileged to have with Her Majesty, her affection for New Zealand is very, very genuine, and it’s very much appreciated.”
The prime minister’s meeting with Prince William was one of the final events in her trip to Europe.
Throughout the week, she has attended the Nato Leaders’ Summit in Spain and agreed to a free trade agreement with the European Union in Belgium.
She has also held many meetings with European leaders, as well as catching up with the leaders of Japan, Australia and South Korea at the Nato summit.
GLENN MCCONNELL/Stuff
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern meets with British PM Boris Johnson at 10 Downing St in London, UK.
On Friday, she met British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for lunch at 10 Downing St.
Ngāti Rānana, the te ao Māori group based in London, performed haka at Downing St for Ardern’s arrival.
As well as enjoying lunch, Ardern and Johnson agreed to an extension to the eligibility for young Brits and Kiwis to work and travel in New Zealand and the UK.