The Royal Titles Act 1974 changed the official title of the

Queen of New Zealand The monarchy of New Zealand is the constitutional system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of New Zealand. The current monarch, King Charles III, ascended the throne following the death of his mot ...

to "Elizabeth the Second,

by the Grace of God By the Grace of God ( la, Dei Gratia, abbreviated D.G.) is a formulaic phrase used especially in Christian monarchies as an introductory part of the full styles of a monarch. For example in England and later the United Kingdom, the phrase was fo ...

Queen of New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith".

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

's original title in New Zealand described her as "Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Her Other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith". The Act was part of a program of nationalism on the part of the third Labour government. However it was unanimously supported in

parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

and, unusually, all three stages of the bill were passed in a single sitting.

Debates

*New Zealand Parliamentary Debates vol.389, pp. 1–3.

References

Statutes of New Zealand Monarchy in New Zealand 1974 in New Zealand law 1974 in international relations Commonwealth royal styles {{statute-stub