New Zealand plants tree to mark coronation of King Charles
New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has planted a native totara tree in Parliament’s grounds to mark the upcoming coronation of Britain’s King Charles III
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins planted a native totara tree Wednesday in Parliament's grounds to mark the upcoming coronation of Britain's King Charles III.
The ceremony was an early start to a campaign to plant 100,000 native trees around New Zealand. The government has donated 1 million New Zealand dollars ($613,000) to the effort.
Hipkins said his office liaised with the British palace over the best way to mark the coronation.
“King Charles being an avid environmentalist and a keen gardener, we thought it was appropriate that we recognize his coronation in a way that leaves a lasting legacy that recognizes his passions and his interests,” Hipkins said.
New Zealand is a former British colony and under its constitutional arrangements, Charles remains New Zealand’s king and head of state. However, his role is largely ceremonial.
King Charles's coronation May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London will mark the official start of the planting campaign. Hipkins said he hoped to get as many New Zealanders as possible planting trees for the effort's launch.
“A couple of us won't be here for that, we're going to be at the coronation, so we wanted to get started,” he said. “The people's place, Parliament, is the appropriate place for us to really begin these celebrations.”
Hipkins was joined in the tree-planting ceremony by Opposition Leader Christopher Luxon and other dignitaries.
Totara trees have huge trunks and can grow up to 30 meters (100 feet).
___
Find more of AP’s Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific