Veronica Somare has been honoured for her own role in the establishment of Papua New Guinea and her position as the country's inaugural first lady.

[4][5][7] The couple had met that year in Wewak, and Michael was immediately taken with Veronica, courting her quickly in "the village fashion.

[7] Veronica Somare became first lady of Papua New Guinea in 1975, when her husband became the country's first prime minister.

"[5] Later, Michael Somare emphasized Veronica's role in his political success: "She was a young woman who changed my life so that I could have the credibility at home and professionally.

[11] While Somare's primary focus has been supporting her family throughout her husband's prominent career, she is also deeply interested in the cultivation of orchids.