On July 4 America celebrates their Independence Day as founding their nation, and yet in New Zealand our Independence Day is never celebrated.

Queen Victoria's Royal Charter dated November 16, 1840 was our true founding document. This important document has been ignored for more than 173 years.

The day we should all celebrate as our Independence Day is May 13, 1841 when New Zealand became a British colony under one flag and one law.

It allowed New Zealand to break away from New South Wales and, with the consent of the British Parliament, to form its own British colony with its own governor and government to make its own laws based on English law under the watchful eye of the British Parliament.

The Charter is completely ignored by the government and Te Papa and the Ministry of Justice does not even have a copy of our true founding document and first constitution.

I Brougham, Wanganui.