Waikato: The youngest of three children and the only daughter of Kingi Tuheitia and his wife Makau Ariki Atawhai is now the new leader of the Kingitanga movement. Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po Paki was crowned as her father, Kingi Tuheitia, lay in state beside her, evoking memories of his ascension nearly 18 years ago at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia, the headquarters of the Kingitanga movement.
The new queen is a direct descendant of Potatau Te Wherowhero, the first Maori King, who was installed in 1858. She becomes the eighth monarch to lead the movement, just a few weeks shy of her late father’s coronation on August 21, 2006. Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po Paki is the second female leader of the movement, following her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, who was the longest-serving Maori monarch from 1966 to 2006.
At only 27 years old, she is considered relatively young for the role. She was educated at Te Whare Kura o Rakaumanga in Huntly and earned a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship in 2016. She graduated from the University of Waikato, achieving a Bachelor of Arts followed by a Master of Arts Degree with First Class Honours in 2022. Born on January 13, 1997, the new monarch was only nine years old when her father ascended to the throne.