Royal Watch News
Queen Elizabeth's special birthday present
Apr 22, 2010, 12:01 GMT
Britain's Queen Elizabeth will remain head of state of New Zealand.
The Parliament in Wellington, New Zealand, threw out a bid by Green MP Keith Locke to rid the country of the British monarchy.
Keith Locke had argued: "Why should we have a head of state on the other side of the world who is not a citizen of our country?"
Royal support is believed to have grown in the country following Prince William's visit in January.
Lewis Holden, chairman of the New Zealand Republican Movement, said the news would come as a special surprise to Queen Elizabeth, who celebrated her 84th birthday yesterday (21.04.10).
He told the Daily Express newspaper: "That's why Buckingham Palace sent him out here. In a way, it's a particularly good birthday present for the queen."
A poll before the vote in Parliament found support for turning New Zealand into a republic with a President was down from 47 per cent in 2008 to 37 per cent now.
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