Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: The government has partly made up its mind on the mega–prison, Māori wards fall short in regional votes, and midwives say the budget boost was too little, too late. The government has made a decision to not expand Wakeria Prison into a so–called mega–prison, but is … Read more
Kiwi journalist in London Jono Hutchison took the train to Windsor to join the Royal Wedding crowds. This was his day. Much like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, my Saturday started early, full of nerves and in famous surroundings. My alarm went off at 4:40am; I rose regally from my bed and put the micro-kettle … Read more
As the world fusses endlessly over Ed Sheeran marrying a Suits star, The Spinoff unearths a true royal scandal. The Spinoff has learned that a New Zealander once sold two plastic dog poos to Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1995. This exclusive breaking news arrives on the same day that her youngest son, Prince Harry, … Read more
For The Spinoff Music, the big question of the day isn’t what dress Meghan Markle is going to wear, but what song she’ll be dancing to with Harry. Thanks to Spotify, here’s our best guess. Choosing a song to have your first dance to as a married couple is either super easy or super hard. … Read more
The royal wedding is tomorrow, and The Spinoff has a correspondent on the ground for all the late-breaking Meghan and Harry news. Let’s check in with him. Starring Ra Pomare This content, like all television coverage we do at The Spinoff, is brought to you thanks to the excellent folk at Lightbox. Do us and … Read more
Obsessed with the royal wedding and not sure what to do with the few hours that are left in the lead-up? Proud royal(wedding)ist Tara Ward shares her pre-planning schedule. Friends, there is one more sleep until Prince Harry marries Meghan Markle in the event of the century, and I am gripped by wedding fever. Gripped, … Read more
Jacinda Ardern’s care package for the new royal baby includes 15 kids books chosen by author Kate De Goldi. She writes about her selection. I have a bunch of go-to titles for new babies – black and white board books for first reads, nursery rhyme collections for ever, favourites by New Zealand writers and artists for … Read more
‘Be kind to animals,’ Gwen Shepherd instructed an avid listening audience when her wedding was broadcast in 1930, as told in an extract from a new book by Peter Hoar. Gwen Shepherd wore a gown of ivory georgette when she married Bruce Stennett at Wellington’s St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, now known as Old St Paul’s, on Wednesday, … Read more
Fresh from their nuptial marriage, newly-weds Richie McCaw and Gemma Flynn have delighted downtown Auckland with a walkabout that left many onlookers lost for words. Flynn, 26, who exchanged vows with the Rugby World Cup winning hero over the weekend before friends and family at an exclusive Wanaka event dubbed “New Zealand’s royal wedding”, looked … Read more
The Royal Wedding may have been five years ago today, but it remains an imprinted memory for many New Zealanders. Zoe Scheltema remembers the long, the short and the hats of watching it all unfold on live television. Five years ago, the world was absolutely gripped by what was being described as “the wedding of … Read more