The youngest child of Kingi Tuheitia and Makau Ariki Atawhai, Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po Paki, has been appointed the new leader of the Kingitanga movement. This historic moment took place as her father was laid to rest, mirroring his ascension nearly 18 years ago at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia, the center of the Kingitanga Movement.
Kuini is a direct descendant of Potatau Te Wherowhero, the first Maori King, who was established in 1858. She enters the role as the eighth monarch of the movement, just weeks before the anniversary of her father’s coronation on August 21, 2006.
At just 27 years old, Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po Paki is the second woman to lead the movement, following her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, who was the longest-serving Maori monarch from 1966 until 2006.
She was educated at Te Whare Kura o Rakaumanga in Huntly and earned a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship in 2016. Kuini graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Arts and later 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.