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• Former leader of the Opposition, Foreign Affairs Minister and Auckland mayor Phil Goff is leaving London this weekend.
•  last week over comments Goff made about US president Donald Trump.
• His farewell included a message from King Charles.

Sacked UK High Commissioner Phil Goff has been farewelled in London overnight, including with a message from King Charles.

Goff, the former leader of the Opposition, former Foreign Affairs Minister and former Auckland mayor, posted a photo to Facebook of the farewell, which comes a week after Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters fired him over comments he made about US President Donald Trump.

“Nice to be farewelled today by Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps, Alastair Harrison, with a message from King Charles”, Goff wrote on Facebook early this morning (NZT).

He did not reveal the contents of the King’s message.

It had been a privilege to represent New Zealand in the UK, Goff wrote.

“Our two countries have had a long, close and enduring friendship. Over history we have fought for common values alongside each other, and on critical global issues such as security, trade and climate change we are like-minded.

“In the turbulent world today we will continue to work together to achieve shared objectives.”

Phil Goff (left), with Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps Alastair Harrison, at a farewell for the former, who was sacked as UK High Commissioner last week.

Goff’s position as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom was stripped from him on Thursday last week after the diplomat’s comments about Trump.

Asking a question of Finnish Foreign Affairs Minister Elina Valtonen at a Chatham House event in London, Goff said he’d been rereading a speech by former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1938 after the Munich Agreement.

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“He turned to Chamberlain, he said, ‘You had the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour, yet you will have war’,” Goff said.

“President Trump has restored the bust of Churchill to the Oval Office. But do you think he really understands history?”

Peters moved quickly to take action, saying: “Phil Goff’s comments are deeply disappointing”.

“They do not represent the views of the New Zealand Government and make his position as High Commissioner to London untenable.”

US President Donald Trump has tested relations with several countries over his actions relating to tariffs, sovereignty issues and the Ukraine-Russia war. Photo / Chris Kleponis/CNP/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Goff hasn’t commented publicly on the sacking, but said in response to a comment on his Facebook post that he was prepared to “once I’m settled back home”.

The post had received 450 positive reactions by noon, as well as dozens of comments - most in support.

Peters this week announced former head of MFAT Chris Seed had been called out of retirement to be acting High Commissioner in London until a replacement for Goff - expected to leave London this weekend - could be found.

Former Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark, whose Cabinet Goff served in, posted on X after the announcement that it looked like “a very thin excuse for sacking a highly respected former NZ Foreign Minister”.

But sacking Goff had been one of the most difficult things he’d had to do in his career, Peters said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters, pictured yesterday, described the sacking of Phil Goff as one of the toughest things he'd had to do in his career. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Goff overstepped in his comments about United States President Donald Trump – despite being “right” he “was not diplomatic” in a time of “profound tension”, University of Auckland associate professor of politics and international relations Dr Stephen Winter said.

“In a less fraught international environment, this faux pas might have been handled in ways that kept Goff in London.”

Former UK High Commissioner Sir Lockwood Smith said he felt sorry for Goff, but agreed Peters had been left with no choice but to sack him.

Goff’s comments reflected how difficult it is for a former senior politician to cease being a politician once taking on a diplomatic role, former long-serving diplomat Peter Hamilton said.

“While Goff’s comments might have been fine if he was still a serving NZ politician, they overstepped the mark when he makes them as the diplomatic representative of the Government of New Zealand.”

Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.