It’s officially the beginning of a new Carolean era, with King Charles III finally taking the throne after a record-breaking 70-year apprenticeship.office was overcome with royal fever, our palace spies providing plenty of last-minute inside gossip as we beavered away on this special souvenir edition of the magazine. Watching the pomp and pageantry unfurl, I suddenly realised I can now say that I’ve enjoyed a chat with the King and Queen, not once, but twice! The first time, in the Auckland War Memorial Museum, after establishing she’s a semi-regular reader, Camilla and I chatted about how much she enjoys all the animal-related events on royal tours – I’ve watched her wash SPCA dogs and pat tuatara – and heard how her grandchildren always want her to bring these cute creatures home. Delighted that we both had an interest in conservation, Charles then cut in to chat about albatrosses and elephants. My second chinwag with Their Majesties happened at Wellington’s Government House – sadly, my only memory is the future king joking about his sausage fingers! We hope you enjoy this historic mag – and keep an eye out for part two of our coronation coverage next week. God save the King!
