I SAY: Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will visit New Zealand later this year.

Prime Minister John Key today confirmed the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will visit New Zealand in November.

The royal couple's visit marks part of Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Year celebrations.

At Waitangi today, Key paid tribute to the Queen, whose Jubilee also starts today.

He praised the Queen, who has reigned for 60 years, for her "commitment and service to her realms and territories, including New Zealand".

"On behalf of New Zealanders, I would like to thank the Queen for her dedication. We wish her well in this Diamond Jubilee year, which begins on the same day as we commemorate the signing of our nation's founding document," he said.

The visit comes on the back of an official visit by Prince William in March 2011 when he surveyed the damage caused by the devastating Christchurch earthquake and also travelled to Greymouth to speak to the families of the Pike River Mine disaster victims.

Prince Charles' last official visit was in 2005, but this will be his wife Camilla's first to the country.

The couple are also expected to visit Australia, Papua New Guinea and Canada.