The Government says it expects to help cover the costs for Sir Edmund Hillary's family to travel to a special memorial service the Queen will hold in his honour.
The Queen offered a special memorial service at Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel for Sir Edmund after the royal
family announced it would not send a member to Sir Edmund's funeral.
The Prime Minister said yesterday a similar, although smaller scale, service was held after Sir Keith Holyoake's death in 1983.
"The Government of the day paid for the expenses of Lady Holyoake and her son to go. So we would certainly be expecting to render assistance to Lady Hillary."
Both Sir Keith and Sir Edmund Hillary were Knights of the Royal Garter _ one of the Queen's personally selected Order of up to 24 Knights.
According to protocol, a memorial is held during Evensong at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle grounds after the death of a Knight of the Royal Garter during which the Knight's garter was presented to family members.
The offer of a service for Sir Edmund was for a larger-scale ceremony to include New Zealand community representatives as well.
Helen Clark said she would consider attending the service, which is expected to be held in April. .
"This is a very rare honour and order which Sir Ed has had and which Sir Keith Holyoake had. So it's quite an exceptional circumstance."
Sir Edmund made his ascent of Everest as part of a British expedition on the eve of the Queen's coronation and the decision not to send a Royal family member was widely regarded as a snub.
Yesterday Helen Clark said she was not surprised at the reaction.
"I think there had been quite a lot of speculation in news media that there would be attendance, So when there wasn't attendance I think there was surprise.
"But I can only repeat the advice I had, which is that the Queen's offer of the memorial service as a large New Zealand occasion in a chapel which holds hundreds of people was a very rare and special offer."
