Camilla will never be Queen of NZ, says Clark

Prime Minister Helen Clark is adamant Camilla Parker Bowles will not be Queen of New Zealand, should Prince Charles become king.

Prince Charles and Mrs Parker Bowles will marry on April 8, and Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright and Mr Peter Cartwright have accepted an invitation from the Queen to attend the service of prayer and dedication at Windsor Castle.

But Helen Clark said today: "The Queen of New Zealand is the sovereign, such as the Queen herself now is.

"If Camilla were referred to in the context of king and queen, it would clearly be as Queen consort."

New Zealanders would "definitely not" be her subjects -- something Helen Clark was comfortable with.

The Prime Minister also revealed the Government considered not giving Charles and Camilla wedding present before deciding upon plants and trees.

The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet had initially queried whether New Zealand should send a present as it had not done so when Princess Anne married for a second time.

"But it was felt that because Prince Charles is the heir to the throne and New Zealand is a constitutional monarchy and because he would have been quite recently in New Zealand - and that visit has now taken place - yes a gift would be appropriate," Helen Clark told National Radio.

An artwork was considered but as "beauty is in the eye of the beholder", plants and trees were decided upon.

"We sounded out Prince Charles' representatives at Clarence House and they said that he had a much-loved southern hemisphere garden at Highgrove and the trees and plants would be a wonderful present," Helen Clark said.

- NZPA