Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has sent a condolence letter to King Charles expressing sympathy for the death of his mother.
"As Queen of New Zealand, Her Majesty was loved for her grace, calmness, dedication, and public service. Her affection for New Zealand and its people was clear, and it was an affection that was shared," Ardern wrote.
"Her Majesty was an important part of all our lives throughout her reign – but she was first and foremost a daughter, a sister, a mother, and a grandmother.
"You have our deepest sympathies for her loss but also our gratitude for her extraordinary life of service," Ardern wrote.
The Prime Minister learned of the Queen's death at 4.50am yesterday morning, when a police officer shone a torchlight into her room.
She said it was with "great sadness" that New Zealand had woken up with the news of the Queen's death.
"Here is a woman who gave her life utterly to serve others."
Ardern spoke yesterday to Newstalk ZB's Heather du Plessis-Allan about the Queen's interest in New Zealand's current affairs.
She said King Charles shared a similar interest.
"Over the years, [Charles' involvement in politics] has always been at the level of where you would expect a future king to be interested," Ardern told du Plessis-Allan.
The Prime Minister expects King Charles III will stay politically neutral, despite publicly expressing his views on various issues in the past - including climate change. This was considered controversial at times due to a precedent for royal family members to remain politically neutral.
"[Royals] do have an interest in what's happening; current events and issues that are top of mind for New Zealand," Ardern said.
She said she had met King Charles on a "number" of opportunities, as recent as this year in Europe, where he had shown a "genuine affinity" for New Zealand.
Ardern said Charles was particularly connected to the country through his work with The Prince's Trust, a charity for vulnerable young people.
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