Monarchy of New Zealand : Ask Biography

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The monarchy of New Zealand - also referred to as The Crown in Right of New Zealand, Her Majesty in Right of New Zealand, or The Queen in Right of New Zealand - is the constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of the Realm of New Zealand, forming the core of the country's Westminster-style parliamentary democracy. The Crown is thus the foundation of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the New Zealand government.

While Royal Assent and the royal sign-manual are required to enact laws, letters patent, and Orders in Council, the authority for these acts stems from the New Zealand populace, and, within the conventional stipulations of constitutional monarchy, the sovereign's direct participation in any of these areas of governance is limited, with most related powers entrusted for exercise by the elected parliamentarians, the ministers of the Crown generally drawn from amongst them, and the judges and Justices of the Peace.

The New Zealand monarchy has its roots in the British crown, from which it has evolved over numerous centuries to become a distinctly New Zealand institution, represented by unique symbols. The New Zealand monarch - since 6 February 1952, Elizabeth II - is today shared equally with fifteen other countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, all being independent and the monarchy of each legally distinct. For New Zealand, the monarch is officially titled Queen of New Zealand, and she, her consort, and other members of the New Zealand Royal Family undertake various public and private functions across New Zealand and on behalf of the country abroad. However, the Queen is the only member of the Royal Family with any constitutional role. While several powers are the sovereign's alone, because she lives predominantly in the United Kingdom, most of the royal constitutional and ceremonial duties in New Zealand and Niue are carried out by the Queen's viceroy, the Governor-General and the Queen's Representative in The Cook Islands. As the territories of the Realm of New Zealand are not sovereign, they do not have a viceregal representation.