King Charles weighs in on the Aussie-Kiwi pavlova debate

King Charles said in a speech that Sydney is ‘world famous’ for pavlova and avocado on toast. Photo / Getty Images
First he cancelled the New Zealand leg of his royal tour Downunder, and now King Charles has made a controversial comment about one of our national dishes – the pavlova.
Amid his visit to Australia with Queen Camilla, the monarch made a speech at a community barbecue in Sydney yesterday, during which he spoke of the city’s culinary delights.
“It is no wonder, I think, that Sydney is world famous for its cuisine – whether it’s smashed avo, a pav or a cab sav [cabernet sauvignon] – and that is what I hope has been on display,” he declared.
Pausing to comment, “God almighty, they’ve done two pages of this bloody thing”, he continued with his speech: “It is a real pleasure to have just had the chance to try this produce, but also, crucially, to meet the people who make it happen, working tirelessly in all seasons and all weathers.”
Sydney may be known for its avo toast, but the debate over pavlova’s origins has raged for years on both sides of the Ditch.
If you ask a New Zealander when the pav was invented, they’ll probably tell you it was created by a Wellington chef in honour of the famed Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova in 1926.
If you ask an Aussie, they’ll insist a Perth chef named Bert Sachse first made the pavlova in 1935.
In December last year, Contact Energy sparked controversy with a sign at Auckland Airport declaring, “Home is where the pavlova was really created”, designed to welcome Kiwis home to New Zealand.
However, Australian travellers took offence, labelling the billboard “a declaration of war”.
One commented on social media, “It’s nice of them to promote tourism to Australia”, while another claimed, “We all know that NZ is really just another Australian state, so the pav was created in Australia”.
Another dared to declare, “When your country hasn’t produced anything of significance, I guess you have to cling on to whatever you can, right?”
Yesterday, Aussies and Kiwis were united in outrage over an error in a menu served to the King amid his visit.
During a parliamentary reception, the royals were served crab cakes, arancini, cheesecake, and Anzac biscuits. However, they were incorrectly labelled “cookies” on the menu – a blunder that is technically illegal in Australia.
The Department of Veterans’ Affairs states that Anzac biscuits must always be referred to as “biscuits” and not “cookies” – and some have called the mistake “shameful” and a “sacrilege” to the memory of veterans.