‘I met Queen Elizabeth II - her frank comment was exactly the advice I needed'

‘I met Queen Elizabeth II - her frank comment was exactly the advice I needed' Dame Jacinda Ardern, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, has spoken about the advice she received from Queen Elizabeth II Former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern has opened up about what the late Queen Elizabeth II told her when she was expecting a child. Dame Jacinda, 45, was just 37 years old when she took the helm as New Zealand's leader. Throughout her time in office, which spanned the Covid-19 pandemic before she stepped down in 2023, she became only the second democratically elected world leader to give birth while in power. Her role as New Zealand's prime minister meant she occasionally crossed paths with members of the Royal Family, including Queen Elizabeth II, with whom she shared a fascinating encounter, reports the Express. Despite coming to their respective positions in vastly different circumstances, both Dame Jacinda and Queen Elizabeth II gave birth while holding significant roles. Dame Jacinda was only the second democratically elected world leader to do so, while Queen Elizabeth gave birth to all four of her children during her reign as the UK's sovereign. Speaking to the Times, Dame Jacinda revealed she asked the Queen how she had managed to carry out her duties as monarch while navigating pregnancy and childbirth. The pair met when Dame Jacinda was seven months pregnant at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London. The Queen's response was refreshingly candid. Dame Jacinda said: "She said in a rather resolute way, 'Well, you just get on with it.' She was right. What she was saying was there's no big secret to it, you just take every day as it comes. That simple, practical advice was exactly what I needed." This wasn't the only moment in the interview where Dame Jacinda reflected on what it meant to be a parent — she was, after all, a first-time mother while simultaneously leading a democratic nation. Speaking on the subject, Dame Jacinda revealed that despite her extraordinary circumstances, she still felt connected to a wider community, saying: "I was a first-time mum while being prime minister. "I had this particularly high-profile role, but I didn't feel special or unique. I felt like I was part of this very large club of women trying to make it work." Dame Jacinda, who announced her pregnancy in January 2018, has opened up about the experience on previous occasions. In May 2025, she wrote a piece in the Guardian, describing her astonishment at not facing criticism for expecting a child. Instead, she was met with an outpouring of warmth from the people of New Zealand, including a baby blanket made up of 24 squares. She told the publication: "I had braced for the worst. I was a public figure, used to judgment and scrutiny. Now I was pregnant and unwed. I was also new to the job. If people wanted to have a go at me, they had plenty of reason to. But I hadn't considered a fundamental truth: that politicians are humans first, and perhaps the public hadn't lost sight of that."