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 lay in state beside her, evoking memories of his own ascension nearly 18 years ago at Turangawaewae Marae, the headquarters of the Kingitanga Movement in Ngaruawahia.
The new queen is a direct descendant of the first Māori King, Potatau Te Wherowhero, who was inaugurated in 1858. She becomes the eighth monarch to guide the movement, with her coronation occurring just a few weeks before what would have been her father’s coronation anniversary on August 21, 2006.
Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po Paki is only the second woman to lead the movement, following her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, who was the longest-serving Māori monarch, reigning from 1966 until 2006. The new queen is relatively young at 27 years old.
Her educational background includes attending 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 and completed her Master of Arts degree with First Class Honours in 2022.
Born on January 13, 1997, the new monarch was just nine years old when her father ascended to the throne.