Elizabeth Garlick earns a smile and greeting from Prince Harry with her sign at his visit to Wellington in 2015. Photo / Getty Images
Elizabeth Garlick earns a smile and greeting from Prince Harry with her sign at his visit to Wellington in 2015. Photo / Getty Images
A Lower Hutt woman who once caught Prince Harry's attention with a large sign promising not to kiss him has proclaimed herself the country's biggest royals fan.
Elizabeth Garlick, the self-proclaimed "Duchess of Wellington", said her love of the royals began with an obsession with Princess Diana at the age of 6.
She always wanted to be a princess, and Diana was "the most prominent princess in the media".
The "collective grief" at the princess' death in 1997 struck Garlick at "a really formative time" in her life, she said.
At some point her love for Diana transferred to the rest of the royals, and now Garlick considers herself a strong contender for New Zealand's biggest fan.
Prince Harry inspects Elizabeth Garlick's replica Princess Diana ring at Pukeahu War Memorial in Wellington in May 2015. Photo / Supplied
"Ask any of my friends or family," she said.
"Being a royal fan has meant that I've been able to connect with like-minded people all over the world . . . I've made amazing friends."
One thing they enjoyed doing was keeping a close eye on royal fashion and trying to source the same items of clothing themselves. Garlick has been able to replicate some of the outfits the royals have worn.
"It's always an exciting moment when you're able to find the exact piece of clothing that one of the royals wore."
When the royals visit Wellington, Garlick heads down early - usually about six hours beforehand - to camp out in a good spot and await their arrival.
She once caught Prince Harry's attention during his solo visit to the Pukeahu War Memorial in Wellington in May 2015 with a large sign stating "Don't worry, I won't kiss you!"
Elizabeth Garlick, wearing the same outfit worn once by Kate Middleton, waits for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to make an appearance in Wellington in 2018. Photo / Supplied
The sign was a nod to an incident days earlier in Sydney where a woman carrying a sign with a marriage proposal on it tried to reel the prince in for an audacious kiss on the lips.
Garlick said he smiled when he saw her sign and came over to talk to her. He was also interested to see a ring she was wearing that was a replica of his mother, Princess Diana's own ring.
She met Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex during their visit to Wellington in 2018.
Following the events of "Megxit", Garlick said she was "a little bit shocked", but said it had given royal watchers "an incredible insight" into how the royal family worked.
"I actually fully support Harry and Meghan kind of making their own way."
Garlick is also a big fan of Queen Elizabeth.
"I think she's just so amazing, being on the throne for 70 years, the longest-running British monarch. I just don't think anyone's going to top that.
"She's done so well. She's seen how many prime ministers and governor-generals and presidents come and go, and she's just remained there steadfast through it all.
"She has always said it's a job for life, and she's really stuck to that."
Garlick plans to get together for a high tea with some of her royal watcher friends to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
