JANE ATKINSON
Accepting royal gong from King is sickening hypocrisy from passionate republican Jacinda Ardern
Many politicians in her part of the world are so anti-royal they want to close The Firm down
FOR most people, getting dressed up in a fancy outfit and heels to be awarded a damehood by the future King of England would be the honour of a lifetime.
And New Zealand’s former prime minister Jacinda Ardern did just that this week, smiling broadly and even sharing a giggle with Prince William at Windsor Castle as he made her a dame, pinning the gleaming gong on to her red sash.
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The one-time leader said she was “incredibly honoured and humbled” and described attending the royal celebration with her family as “a really special day”.
But forget her blue silky frock and new medal.
All I could see was a display of sickening hypocrisy from Ardern, because she is actually a passionate republican who has made it perfectly clear that she wants to do away with the monarchy’s role in New Zealand altogether.
Last year when she was offered the award, she said she was conflicted about accepting it.
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It may have traditionally been offered to former prime ministers for decades but she could easily have tactfully dodged it.
Instead, hypocritical eco-conscious Ardern jetted in to receive one of our greatest honours, saying: “It will be home that I will be thinking of,” before swiftly heading back there.
Good.
Many politicians in her part of the world are so anti-royal they want to close The Firm down.
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And King Charles and Queen Camilla are now feeling the heat on their tour in neighbouring Oz.
The powerful leaders of all six Australian states declined invitations to meet them at a reception in Canberra tomorrow, citing “other commitments” ranging from election campaigns to cabinet meetings.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden says trans-Tasman travel is a 'long way off'
Before the King landed in Sydney, Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, said: “I’m a republican.
“But I’m going to treat him as an honoured guest in New South Wales, which he genuinely is.
“I hope he has a great time here and I’ll be on my best behaviour.”
Republicans have even been selling T-shirts labelling the royal visit a “farewell tour”.
Monarchists say this snub is insulting — especially to a man who has paused his cancer treatment to be there.
But actually avoiding meeting Charles is less insulting than being two-faced.
Two-faced
Which is exactly what Ardern has been.
She has never shied away from her feelings.
As prime minister she said that her country would become a republic within her lifetime.
So seeing this award being given to her from one of the very royals she wants to oust is galling.
She may be friends with William through his Earthshot Prize but on this occasion he was doing his main job and she was getting one of the UK’s highest honours.
It is an honour that she should never have been offered.
Because Ardern loves spouting republican rhetoric with one face while beaming at a royal gong with the other.
Chalcot Crescent – way posher than Paddington?
WHAT a snooty lot the residents of Chalcot Crescent in London’s Primrose Hill must be.
They are kicking off because one of the homes in their street is being transformed into a Paddington Bear-themed Airbnb – because it was used as a backdrop for the movies – and turned into a prize-winning pad.
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Three Paddington fan contest winners will get to stay there. Airbnb is spending two weeks renovating it but has made a £20,000 donation to the local community association.
Residents call it an “invasion”, and say that Paddington is a “tragedy to us” while TikTokers make them feel as though they’re “living in a zoo”. Oh do stop it.
Imagine if they were fans of Freddy Krueger or Chucky.
Paddington was said to find the good in people and make friends wherever he goes.
Maybe they should take a leaf out of his book.
Be kind to poor Cheryl
WHENEVER there is a death that isn’t by the most natural of causes, there is often a blame game, questions and picking over how the person lived their life – and how they died. That is natural.
And this is what is happening right now with Liam Payne.
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But one of the ugliest things that has come from the One Direction star’s passing is the abuse directed towards his ex Cheryl Tweedy.
A quick flick on the internet shows people bashing her for getting together with him when he was 22, because she was ten years older.
As if she had committed some crime.
She didn’t. It is clear that he adored their little boy, Bear, who is now seven and has lost his daddy at such a vulnerable age.
All that boy needs to know is that his mummy loved his daddy when he was born, and he always continued to love him.
The trolls would be wise to listen to the words of Liam’s close friend and hairdresser Luke Benson.
He urged people to “be kind” when talking about what may have led to the singer’s death and said Liam was “so kind”.
He added: “Remember he was a son, dad and friend to many.”
Words so true. RIP, Liam.
Chope a dope
WHAT Tory MP Sir Christopher Chope said about Kemi Badenoch this week is disgraceful.
He said he is backing Robert Jenrick to be the new Tory leader because – and wait for it – Kemi has young kids.
Chope said: “You can’t spend all your time with your family at the same time as being Leader of the Opposition.
“Much as I like Kemi, I think she’s preoccupied with her own children, quite understandably.
“But I think Robert’s children are a bit older, and I think that it’s important that whoever leads the Opposition has got an immense amount of time and energy.”
Wow. Welcome back to the 1950s.
I would imagine Sir Christopher is the kind of father who called it “babysitting” when he looked after his.
Bra-vo to Heidi & Leni
HEIDI KLUM has been slammed for posing with her daughter Leni, both in skimpy underwear.
One critic slammed: “Which normal mum would pose together with her daughter in lingerie?”
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But Heidi isn’t your average mum. She is a supermodel who has her own lingerie range and Leni, 20, is a model too.
Plus, the undies they are wearing are twice the size of many bikinis.
Another Instagram follower commented: “Am I the only one thinking this is a bit weird?”
What is weird is people having a go at two models – a loving mother and her daughter – enjoying a photoshoot and looking amazing in their undies.
Plus they’re presumably getting paid a fortune for it.
Stinks of jealousy.
MIKE TINDALL says he didn’t have to try very hard to fit into the Royal Family, saying: “They were always nice to me, and I was always nice to them. Simple really.”
Imagine if Meghan had tried that.
Fowlest of play
GOOD on Edward White who took on the police – and won.
Edward runs an animal rescue centre, and he took in a chicken that he spotted wandering on the road and put a picture of the hen online.
Instead of the owners he was hoping to trace, he found the police knocking on his door accusing him of stealing the bird.
(Meanwhile local robbers, shoplifters and burglars were having a right old chuckle).
Cops kept him for four hours, and when they refused to apologise
Edward sued for wrongful arrest. He has now been awarded £10,000.
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He said: “It was a joke of an arrest. I was expecting Jeremy Beadle to step out at any point.”
Cumbria Police have still not done the decent thing and apologised to him. What a bunch of chickens.
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