Kate wants to visit NZ

A star-struck Prime Minister has completed his week long trip to Europe with the highlight of the visit - a day at the royal wedding.

John Key revealed that Prince William's bride Kate Middleton wants to visit New Zealand as a priority on her married life agenda. He added that the Westminster Abbey wedding and Buckingham Palace reception were "a bit like a normal Kiwi wedding".

Mr Key and wife Bronagh sat alongside Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard but were more impressed with singer Sir Elton John.

"I was nearby Elton John and for a fleeting moment I thought I should wander over and say hello but I thought better of it - I couldn't pluck up the courage. It was a marvellous event. We had great seats so we could see the whole thing."

While the couple left the reception in an Aston Martin "everyone threw a bit of rice" with a down-to-earth touch.

In the post-service line of prime ministers and governor generals from the realm, "the first thing Kate said to me was she wants to visit New Zealand. She's very keen to come down and we'll hopefully encourage her to come and visit us sometime very soon, so that was great," said Mr Key.

He added: "Prince William said to me 'did you guess which uniform I was going to wear?' Because we were in the car in Hokitika and he said he had three options and gave me a bit of a hint and I said 'yes', so he was happy I picked up the hint."

Mr Key said: "It was a great spectacle of pomp and pageantry. They sounded obviously nervous but well-rehearsed. It was great to be there and part of it.

"At the reception Prince Charles and William both spoke after the cutting of the cake. In some respects it was a bit like a normal Kiwi wedding. They cracked a few jokes at each other and Prince Charles wished the happy couple all the very best."

Mr Key added: "I'd be amazed if they honeymoon in New Zealand, just from something the Queen said to me the other day."

He said the bride's Alexander McQueen gown, designed by Sarah Burton, was "beautiful, but you are probably asking the wrong person".

Mr Key added: "Prince William just looked so happy - like the cat that got the cream."

At the reception the 650 guests ate and drank "sausages, salmon things, duck terrine and heaps of champagne".

Summing up the trip, he said: "The highlight was the wedding in the final analysis but there were so many great things: the opportunity to have dinner with David Cameron and meet Nicolas Sarkozy and being out on the Western Front paying our respects to those that paid the ultimate sacrifice. It was a truly remarkable week, all mixed up with a bit of Don Brash. I'm back to cabinet on Monday."

- NZPA