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 Nga Wai hono i te po Paki was anointed while her father, Kingi Tuheitia, lay in state beside her, reminiscent of his own ascension nearly 18 years prior at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia, which serves as the headquarters of the Kingitanga Movement.
The newly appointed kuini is a direct descendant of the first Maori King, Potatau Te Wherowhero, who was established in 1858. She becomes the eighth monarch to lead the movement, just a few weeks before the anniversary of her late father’s coronation on August 21, 2006.
At 27 years old, Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po Paki is only the second female leader in the movement’s history. Her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, held the title for 40 years, from 1966 to 2006.
She received her education at Te Whare Kura o Rakaumanga in Huntly and earned a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship in 2016. Kuini has also graduated from the University of Waikato, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts and 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.