page_title: Monarchy of New Zealand
section_title: Executive
hierarchical_section_title: Monarchy of New Zealand / Constitutional role / Executive
caption_attribution_description: English: New Zealand government in 2017. Governor-General Patsy Reddy is seated front, centre; she is flanked by Jacinda Ardern, left, and Winston Peters, right.
context_page_description: The monarchy of New Zealand is the constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of New Zealand. The current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, ascended the throne on the death of her father, King George VI, on 6 February 1952. Elizabeth's eldest son, Charles, Prince of Wales, is heir apparent.
  The Treaty of Waitangi between Queen Victoria and Māori was signed in 1840, and as a result, the British sovereign became New Zealand's head of state. New Zealand gradually became independent from Britain and the monarchy evolved to become a distinctly New Zealand institution, represented by unique symbols. The person who is the New Zealand monarch is today shared with 15 other countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, all being independent and the monarchy of each legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled Queen of New Zealand and, in this capacity, she, her consort, and other members of the 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.
context_section_description: The New Zealand Government (formally termed Her Majesty's Government) is defined by the Constitution Act as the monarch acting on the advice of the Executive Council. One of the main duties of the Crown is to ensure that a democratic government is always in place, which means appointing a prime minister to thereafter head the Cabinet, a committee of the Executive Council charged with advising the Crown on the exercise of the Royal Prerogative, and legally required to keep the governor-general up to date on state affairs.
  In the construct of constitutional monarchy and responsible government, the ministerial advice tendered is typically binding, meaning the monarch reigns but does not rule. However, the Royal Prerogative belongs to the Crown and not to any of the ministers, and the royal and viceregal figures may unilaterally use these powers in exceptional constitutional crisis situations, thereby allowing the monarch to make sure that the Government conducts itself in compliance with the constitution. There are also a few duties which must be specifically performed by, or bills that require assent by, the Queen; these include applying the royal sign-manual and Seal of New Zealand to the appointment papers of governors-general, the confirmation of awards of New Zealand royal honours, and the approval of any change in her New Zealand title.
caption: Executive Councillors with Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy (front, centre), 26 October 2017
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