Former New Zealand Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has officially received her damehood from Prince William in the United Kingdom.
Ardern was honoured for her service to the state, including her response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mass shooting at two Christchurch mosques that claimed the lives of 51 individuals.
In a post to social media, the prince and princess of Wales had nothing but praise for Ardern, touting her environmental credentials.
“A friend, an extraordinary advocate for the environment and now a Dame Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the State,” the post read.
“Jacinda Ardern, it was a privilege to present you with this deserved award at Windsor today.”
The Dame Grand Commander of the New Zealand Order of Merit Honour was first announced as part of the King Charles III Birthday Honours in 2023.
Ardern acknowledged her family and support network.
“It’s a huge honour. You know, I feel really humbled by the chance to be here with my family. And really, I see it as an acknowledgment of them and of every person I’ve worked with and of everyone who supported me, and that includes a very large number of New Zealanders.”
The prize offers 1 million pounds (US$1.3 million) each year between 2021 and 2030 in five categories: protect and restore nature, clean our air, revive our oceans, build a waste free world, and fix our climate.
“It’s not just a prize for me, it’s the movement that I think is so important—about telling every single person out there that we don’t have to wait for this catastrophe to happen to us, that there are things we can do and that are being done.”
Ardern was the youngest female head of government in the world at the time of her election in Oct. 26, 2017. She married Clarke Gayford on Jan. 13.
