OPINION: King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit Samoa and Australia next week and stay down under for 8 days.
But - as has been reported - the King dropped NZ from his plans because of his cancer treatment.
But why are we the ones that get cancelled?
Surely, he'd send Prince William if he couldn't travel, and we'd all understand that. But if he's okay to travel all this way, then he could stop in on the way past. Is he not our Head of State?
His trip Down Under coincides with the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference in Samoa. And yes, he will get a birds eye view of Samoa's latest man-made reef, the Manawanui, as it lies in 30 metres of Samoan water.
Even more embarrassing now, isn't it?
That aside, if he's well enough to endure the heat of Samoa, then NZ could provide a real chance of cooling off just a couple of hours away.
But we were first to be axed. We have been snubbed.
When it came down to it, the King said something had to go - he would have made this choice - his officials would have simply asked him what goes. 'That colony there, New Zealand, the smallish one', as he pointed at a map.
And I think it’s a bit poor. If he can come 20,000 kilometres and see thy neighbour, surely he can come through our front door, heavens - if just for the night.
I know he's been crook, but presumably he's doing well now, because he's embarking on a long trip. If he couldn't, he wouldn't.
He is our Head of State, and I think it’s bloody rank.
What’s the point of having a head of state 20 thousand odd kilometres away if he’s going to come into the neighbourhood but bypass us and walk past the front door?
We are a loyal Commonwealth country - the last time he was here was 5 years ago, but not as the King. His presence here would be significant and signal to us we are important to the Commonwealth, which is an odd, disparate thing, with an unusual collection of bed-sharing partners.
We are a strong Western democracy and I thought we deserved better.
This is about the King, if he really wanted to come here he would have pushed for it.
He may never make it back.
And we have plenty of strong ties to him, given he, Diana and William travelled out here all those decades ago.
Maybe Camilla said 'NO'. Why has he left us off?
The schedule can't be too tough. Come on he flies and lives like a… king, right?
He gets the best of everything.I think it says we don't matter.
It's like when a friend is in town and doesn't look you up, but the pictures on Facebook show them partying with others down the road.
What have we done wrong? It’s a snub.
And surely, this can only hasten the actions of those who say let's become a Republic. Christopher Luxon and King Charles will catch up at CHOGM in Samoa, no doubt.
Imagine that dinner? A tee-totaller mingles with Charlie, both on soda water, a laugh a minute.
Maybe we are missing nothing at all?
Perhaps - but it's the message it sends. Is this another step towards cutting Charlie and his clan loose? Republicanism just got a fraction of a step closer.
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