Waikato: The youngest child and only daughter of Kingi Tuheitia and his wife Makau Ariki Atawhai has officially become the new leader of the Kingitanga movement. Kuini (Queen) Nga Wai hono i te po Paki was crowned as her father lay in state next to her, reminiscent of his own ascension nearly 18 years ago at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia, the movement’s headquarters.
The new queen is a direct descendant of the first Maori King, Potatau Te Wherowhero, who was appointed in 1858. She is the eighth monarch to lead the movement, with her coronation taking place just weeks before the anniversary of her father’s coronation on August 21, 2006.
At 27 years old, Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po Paki is only the second female to assume leadership in the movement, following her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, who held the title from 1966 until 2006.
She received her education at Te Whare Kura o Rakaumanga in Huntly and was awarded a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship in 2016. Kuini graduated from the University of Waikato, earning a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts Degree with First Class Honours in 2022.
Born on January 13, 1997, the new queen was merely nine years old when her father began his reign.