Waikato: The youngest of three siblings and the only daughter of Kingi Tuheitia and Makau Ariki Atawhai has been named the new leader of the Kingitanga movement. Kuini (Queen) Nga Wai hono i te po Paki was officially anointed as her father lay in state beside her, reminiscent of Kingi Tuheitia’s own ascension nearly 18 years prior at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia, the center of the Kingitanga Movement.
This new kuini 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, taking the throne just 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 the second female to assume this leadership role. Her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, held the title for the longest duration, from 1966 until 2006.
Kuini Nga Wai hono i te po was educated 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 and a Master of Arts 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.