Her Majesty finally arrives
Parade, premiere tomorrow kicks off national release of Kiwi film

By Cathy Asplin

If you’ve ever watched the premiere of a Hollywood film and thought it would be fun to be at a gala opening - here’s your chance.

‘Her Majesty’, the movie that was partly filmed in Cambridge with hundreds of Waipa extras, will have it’s Waikato premiere in Te Awamutu tomorrow before going on national release.

A parade through town to celebrate the opening will begin around 3pm, with members of the cast and crew, marching girls, a brass band, Waipa Mayor Alan Livingston and some stylish vehicles.

The parade will arrive outside the Regent Cinema around 3:40pm in time for a speech from New Zealand producer Judith Trye.

Screenings of the movie begin at 4pm and 4:10pm at the Regent Cinema - there are still some tickets available.

Amongst the special guests at the premiere will be the two leads from Her Majesty, Vicky Haughton (of Whale Rider fame) who plays a much older character ‘Hira Mata’ and Sally Andrews (who recently won an award at the San Diego Film Festival for her role of Elizabeth Wakefield).

Sadly two favourite Kiwi screen personalities won’t be at the premiere, as they have passed away since the making of Her
Majesty.

Liddy Holloway - well known for her role in Shortland Street and her work in theatre - passed away on December 29 after a long fight with liver cancer. There will be a tribute to her long service to the arts at the Te Awamutu opening and Arkles
Entertainment will be making a donation from profits of the screening to a charity of the family’s choice. In Her Majesty Ms Holloway takes the role of Virginia Hobson, chairperson of the Middleton organising committee for the Queen’s visit and a ‘special’ friend of Middleton’s Mayor.

The other ‘star’ from Her Majesty to pass away last year was Hercules - better known as ‘the bugger dog’. He plays the part of Elizabeth Wakefield’s dog.

FILM SUMMARY

Set in 1953, Her Majesty is an appealing family story about a young girl who realises her lifelong dream when Queen Elizabeth comes to visit her hometown. Carefully woven into this deceptively simple tale is a rich and engaging tapestry of
universal themes and ideas — tolerance and truth, love and friendship, courage in the face of adversity.

The heroine is Elizabeth Wakefield, a 13-year old New Zealand girl who lives in the quaint, somewhat quirky town of Middleton (mostly set in Cambridge). With her idol, Queen Elizabeth, scheduled to make a visit, and everyone in town, including her father, jockeying to curry favour with the royal entourage, Elizabeth suddenly finds herself thrust into an unlikely friendship with an old Maori woman, Hira Mata, whose house - a sore spot with the matrons of the town - is directly on the parade route past which the Queen will travel.

Elizabeth’s true character is tested when she must choose between marching in the ceremonial parade of her dreams, with a chance to personally meet the Queen and her loyalty to Hira, whose defiant insistence on maintaining and defending her
home against all odds, teaches Elizabeth the importance of standing up for what she believes in.