Waikato: The youngest child and only daughter of Kingi Tuheitia and his wife Makau Ariki Atawhai has been appointed as the new leader of the Kingitanga movement. Kuini (Queen) Nga Wai hono i te po Paki was officially anointed while her father, Kingi Tuheitia, lay in state beside her, evoking a powerful resemblance to 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 installed in 1858. She becomes the eighth monarch to lead the movement and steps into her role just weeks before the anniversary of her late father’s coronation on August 21, 2006.
At just 27 years old, Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po Paki is only the second woman to lead the movement, following in the footsteps of her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, who served as the longest-reigning Maori monarch from 1966 to 2006.
Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po has a solid educational background, having attended Te Whare Kura o Rakaumanga in Huntly, where she was awarded a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship in 2016. She graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Arts, followed by a Master of Arts Degree with First Class Honours in 2022.
Born on January 13, 1997, she was only nine years old when her father ascended to the throne.