Waikato: The youngest and only daughter of Kingi Tuheitia and Makau Ariki Atawhai has been appointed as the new leader of the Kingitanga movement. Kuini (Queen) Nga Wai hono i te po Paki was anointed while her father lay in state beside her, reminiscent of his own ascension nearly 18 years ago at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia, the heart of the Kingitanga Movement.
The new queen is a direct descendant of the first Maori King, Potatau Te Wherowhero, who became king in 1858. She is the eighth monarch to guide the movement, assuming her role just weeks before the anniversary of her father’s coronation on August 21, 2006.
Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po Paki is only the second woman to lead the movement. Her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, held the title of the longest-serving Maori monarch from 1966 until 2006.
At just 27 years old, Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po has a promising future ahead. She completed her education at Te Whare Kura o Rakaumanga in Huntly and was awarded a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship in 2016. She graduated from the University of Waikato, earning a Bachelor of Arts followed by a Master of Arts Degree with First Class Honours in 2022.
Born on January 13, 1997, she was merely nine years old when her father ascended to the throne.