Kīngi Tūheitia tangi: New Māori monarch announced this morning ahead of funeral proceedings for Kīngi Tūheitia
The youngest child of Kīngi Tūheitia has been anointed the new leader of the Kīngitanga, hours before Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII is carried to Taupiri maunga for burial.
Nga wai hono i te powill take over a legacy of her loved father and her much loved grandmother Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the sixth and seventh Māori monarchs.
The Queen is 27 years old. She is the youngest child of Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII.
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Thank you for joining us for live updates of Kīngi Tūheitia's tangi and the anointment of the new Māori Queen, Ngā Wai hono i te pō.
Ka kite anō.
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Poignant images show crowd helping carry casket up the maunga
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Kīngi Tūheitia laid to rest in emotional ceremony
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Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII has now been laid to rest on Taupiri Maunga.
He rests alongside previous Māori monarchs, after a poignant tangi that saw the monarch journey down his beloved Waikato River on a waka crafted for him, then carried up the maunga to the chants of hundreds that gathered to mourn him.
As Kīngitanga chief of staff Ngira Simmonds said, today’s funeral represents the “last moment when Kīngi Tūheitia the person becomes Kīngi Tūheitia the ancestor”.
His youngest child, Ngā Wai hono i te pō, has been anointed the new leader of the Kīngitanga, to continued the legacy of her ancestors.
Thank you for following our live updates of this ceremony. Ka kite.
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Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te pō leaving the waka at Taupiri.
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Kīngi Tūheitia's casket at the top of the maunga, where he will be laid to rest.
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As the casket nears the summit, people are starting to leave.
There is a sense of finality and completion; while one mourner was heard saying: “Kai time.”
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A man watching on is overheard in the crowd: “Man, look at that – Steven Spielberg could never make something like this.”
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A pulley system is in place – pallbearers using ropes – to help get the late monarch’s casket up the mountain and also ensuring its safety.
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Ka Mate echoes across the maunga as the crowd chants in unison – young and old, Māori and non-Māori, united in grief as they farewell Kīngi Tūheitia.
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It’s hard to describe how beautiful it is – hundreds of people, Māori and non-Māori – united in grief.
A crowd of hundreds chants in unison as the casket is carried up the maunga.
There is a real sense of unity among the mourners – ordinary members of the public and the ariki’s whānau sharing the same grief.
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More of the royal whānau are filing past as they walk behind the casket.
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Incredible scenes at Taupiri maunga as hundreds of people are now chanting the haka to farewell the king.
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Hundreds of people standing on the maunga dressed in black are performing a haka – Te Waka then Ka Mate.
People at the base of the maunga have joined in.
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The hundreds if not thousands of people here are near silent as the casket is carried through to the urupā.
The sounds of the haka dominate.
The casket is now being carried onto the maunga in a scene that replicates that of the King’s mother’s tangi in 2006.
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The casket has now been transferred from the waka to the land.
It is truly an incredible scene to witness.
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Despite the thousands-strong crowd, there is complete silence at Taupiri maunga as the waka arrive.
The only sounds heard are the chants from the paddlers as they approach the maunga.
The scenes are reminiscent of the past and steeped in Māori culture, protocol and history.
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As each waka nears, they each have a chant or haka. Each crew is just as loud as the other.
They are incredible scenes.
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There is almost complete silence on the bank at the base of the maunga as hundreds watch the waka approach.
Waka approaching Taupiri maunga
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The waka are in sight now.
The sound of chants from the waka paddlers can now be heard from Taupiri maunga.
The paddlers can be heard chanting Ka Mate, the haka written by Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha.
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Over the loudspeaker, one of the conductors of the funeral is sharing the whakapapa of Taupiri maunga – the maunga (mountain) of the Waikato Tainui people.
The maunga is so significant to Waikato Tainui that it is considered an ancestor.
What you need to know about the new Māori monarch Te Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te pō
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Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te pō was born on January 13, 1997 and is the only daughter and youngest child of the late Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII and Makau Ariki Atawhai. She was named successor to her father on September 5, 2024 following his death on August 30, 2024 and is the eighth monarch of the Kīngitanga (King Movement).
Te Kuini received her moko kauae (facial tattoo) in 2016 to support and acknowledge her father and describes it as her gift to him. Kapa haka is her passion and one that has been nurtured within her by her parents and whānau since the age of 3. She has previously performed with several kapa haka groups at the Te Matatini national kapa haka festival.
Te Kuini was educated at Te Whare Kura o Rakaumanga in Huntly and received a Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship in 2016, completing a Bachelor of Arts followed by a Master of Arts Degree with First Class Honours at Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato (the University of Waikato) in 2022.
Prior to her succession, Te Kuini served in several governance roles as representative of the Kīngitanga, including the Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust and the Waitangi National Trust.
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The guard of honour is in place at Taupiri maunga.
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Mourners on horseback on Great South Road.
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People are being invited on to the maunga if they wish to view proceedings from there, being told “your presence is important”.
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Buck Shelford standing in the guard of honour
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Among the people standing in the guard of honour is rugby legend Sir Wayne "Buck" Shelford.
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The waka carrying Kīngi Tūheitia is expected to take two hours to travel down the awa, accompanied by a flotilla of six other waka.
He will be buried at Taupiri maunga at about 3pm.
Rugby league teams will carry him about 300 steps up the steep maunga.
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Hundreds of people are also sitting within the urupā space of Taupiri maunga.
They have been invited to do so but given rules around where they can go when the King’s casket is carried up.
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The atmosphere is a mix of solemnity and loving, as mourners grapple with farewelling a beloved monarch and ushering in a new one.
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Two boats – one carrying a large bouquet of flowers – are currently docking at the river bank.
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Members of the public who are on the bottom of Taupiri Maunga are being reminded of Māori protocol – no food or drink is allowed on the maunga.
People are being told to keep their phones in their pockets and to be mindful of the respect needed at this occasion.
“Let’s not mix tapu and noa [the ordinary],” the speaker said.
No photography or video recording is allowed on the mountain either, the man said.
Guard of honour forming at Taupiri maunga
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Hundreds of mourners have arrived at the urupā (burial ground) on motorcycles.
Members of the army and the Royal New Zealand Air Force have also arrived.
Numbers are really starting to grow now as carpets are rolled out and a guard of honour - made up of Māori wardens and police - is formed.
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Kīngi Tūheitia is being carried to his final resting place in a waka crafted specifically to honour him.
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Those who did not make it to Taupiri maunga have returned to the marae to watch the procession on the big screens.
A procession of motorcycles has just arrived at Taupiri
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At Taupiri, a man on a microphone is giving instructions to the public – no one is allowed on the maunga except for those helping to take the late King’s casket up to the summit, as well as immediate whānau.
A fleet of motorbikes is roaring loudly past Taupiri now. There appears to be several motorcycle gangs represented in the procession.
Motorbikes are revving loudly past, as the public wait in anticipation for the arrival of their late King.
“The motorbikes just woke up the tūpuna,” the man on the mic says.
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Tainui cousins Arana, Kymani, Lola, David, Brigham and Siras in front of Taupiri.
Asked about the appointment of the new Queen, they were all quick to respond:
“We knew it would be her!”
“So happy we have a Kuini.”
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Reihana Repia said he came to the tangi today to support his cousin, who had whakapapa to the local area.
He said he had watched a documentary last night on the Kīngitanga and admired the way Ngā wai Hono i te Po, the new Māori Queen, spoke and what she was saying, saying he knew – watching her – that she would be made Queen.
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Getting ready to farewell the late King at Taupiri maunga.
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Prime Minister pays tribute to Kīngi Tūheitia
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As Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to kotahitanga (unity) will have a lasting impact on our country.
“Kīngi Tūheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering commitment to kotahitanga,” Luxon says in a statement.
“Over the last few days, thousands of people have gathered at Tūrangawaewae from all corners of our country to pay their respects – a testament to the profound impact Kīngi Tūheitia has had on so many lives.
“As Kīngi Tūheitia makes his final journey from Tūrangawaewae, we reflect on his legacy and look to the future with hope and anticipation.
“We welcome the Upoko Ariki, Ngā Wai hono i te pō, who carries forward the mantle of leadership left by her father. The path ahead is illuminated by the great legacy of Kīngi Tūheitia.”
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A train and buses carrying mourners arriving at Taupiri maunga.
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The waka is carrying the casket of the late King, as well as his grieving family, including newly anointed Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te pō.
Waka travelling towards Taupiri
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The waka is travelling downstream at the moment, towards Taupiri.
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Māori warden Harold Falwasser, who came on to the marae with Tainui earlier in the week, said he was feeling a mix of maemae and happiness today. Happiness a new monarch had been announced, but pain as Kīngi Tūheitia is farewelled.
Falwasser said he was “overjoyed” the King’s daughter was named as the new Queen.
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Food being given out on the special passenger train service for people going to Taupiri.
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A briefing about the tikanga of the Taupiri urupā for those here wishing to enter the cemetery.
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Packs of food and water are being given out on the special passenger train service for people going to Taupiri.
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Mourners gather across the river from Taupiri Mountain for Kīngi Tūheitia's burial.
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Members of the public stand in line to board a special passenger train organised to take mourners to Taupiri maunga.
The same service was offered when Dame Te Atairangikaahu died in 2006.
Taupiri maunga filled with mourners
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More people are continuing to arrive at Taupiri maunga – it’s expected the area will be filled to capacity as mourners come to pay tribute to the Kīngi.
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Crowds line up the streets to farewell Kīngi Tūheitia.
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Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te pō leading the procession as her father, the late Kīngi Tūheitia, makes his final journey.
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Hundreds follow procession
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Hundreds of people are following the funeral procession.
It is an incredible sight and the sense of history happening is not lost.
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The first bus has departed from Tūrangawaewae Marae to Taupiri maunga.
There are 10 buses departing the marae every hour:
- 11 am-11:30 am
- 12 pm-12:30 pm
- 1 pm-1:30 pm
As far as manaakitanga goes, people travelling by bus will receive lunch and water provided by tangata whenua.
– RNZ
Late Kīngi’s casket begins procession to the Waikato River
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The late Kīngi’s casket is brought out as the slow procession begins. His casket will be taken towards the Waikato River, where four waka await.
There are emotional scenes as the late monarch’s casket is brought out of Tūrangawaewae.
There is silence among the crowd, before a lone’s woman begins to wail.
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Kīngi Tūheitia will be taken to the river, placed on a waka to be taken to his final resting place in Taupiri.
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It’s a calm, sunny day with a clear blue sky in Waikato.
There is not a single cloud in the sky.
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The funeral service at Tūrangawaewae Marae has ended. The late King’s casket has been lifted and is being taken out.
The late Kīngi Tūheitia will now make the journey to his final resting place, on his mountain – Taupiri.
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The sounds of waiata from back at Tūrangawaewae marae are being played through loudspeakers at Taupiri maunga.
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Hundreds of people are waiting at the base of Taupiri maunga.
Tuurangawaewae marae is filled with thousands of people who have travelled from across the motu to farewell Kīngi Tūheitia.
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The road leading to Taupiri maunga has been closed. Police are handing out water to people passing by.
Who is the new Māori Queen?
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The 27-year-old University of Waikato graduate has been long groomed to take over from her father and could have a long reign.
Read our full story on Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te pō below.
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The young Queen looks solemn and is visibly emotional, but composed. At times, she sings along to the hymn before pausing and looking down.
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As the prayers end at the late King’s funeral, the masses sing a hymn as the four waka and their crew also ready themselves for the late monarch’s final journey to Taupiri.
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Archbishop Don Tamihere has finished speaking.
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People are sitting on the banks of the Waikato River at the foot of Taupiri maunga, awaiting the waka carrying Kīngi Tūheitia.
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Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te pō sits quietly next to the casket of her father, draped in a feathered kōrowai.
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As Kīngitanga chief of staff Ngira Simmonds says, today’s funeral represents the “last moment when Kīngi Tūheitia the person becomes Kīngi Tūheitia the ancestor”.
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The new Queen sits quietly next to the casket of her father, draped in a feathered kōrowai.
The image almost mirrors that seen in August, 2006, when her father sat in the same spot – his mother’s casket just to his left.
Crowd to farewell King Tūheitia
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And now for the other big event of the day: the final farewell to the late King Tūheitia.
Young children watch intently as Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te po is anointed
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Just outside the marae’s courtyard, hundreds of people remain glued to a large screen to watch the ceremony.
A little girl on her tiptoes, struggling to see, is told by her mum to run to the front to sit with the other young children watching.
“She is their Queen now, of course,” she says quietly.
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STORY CONTINUES
The whānau of the King, his iwi Waikato-Tainui and thousands of other people from around New Zealand and the world have been grieving since it was announced late last week the King had died at age 69 after a period in hospital recovering from heart surgery.
Today marks the seventh and final day of formal tangihanga proceedings for the King at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia as he will be taken to his maunga, Taupiri, to be laid to rest among his ancestors, including his mother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.
Today’s proceedings began with the new Māori monarch, Kuini Ngā Wai hono i te po, being ushered to the throne followed by a ceremony to anoint her. As Kīngitanga chief of staff Ngira Simmonds says, today’s funeral represents the “last moment when Kīngi Tūheitia the person becomes Kīngi Tūheitia the ancestor”.
”It’s a transition from the physical realm to the spiritual realm. It is not too dissimilar from most Māori funerals, but there are a few unique moments reserved [for the king]. The King will... head to Taupiri maunga by waka, no one else here goes to Taupiri on a waka.”
Once the new monarch had been raised to the throne, the funeral service for Kīngi Tūheitia began with a karakia Māori and karaitiana (Māori and Christian prayers).
Once this has concluded, the hearse carrying Kīngi Tūheitia begins a slow procession toward the Waikato River before he is transferred to a waka.
Four waka will feature in the procession, including Tātahi Ora, Waikura, Tākitimu and Te Tīmatanga.
Thousands of people have congregated at Tūrangawaewae Marae over the past seven days – which many say is a strong testament to the impact the seventh Māori monarch had in New Zealand – and the world.
Among the speakers at the marae on Wednesday was Gerry Brownlee, Parliament’s Speaker, who compared the king’s passing to the falling of a “great totara”. Brownlee said he hoped a new waka would be built from that totara that had enough room for all of us.
“No waka moves forward without all the paddles moving in the same direction.”
The manuhiri (guests) on Wednesday also included King Pōmare of Tahiti, and New Zealand political leaders such as Labour leader Chris Hipkins, Act leader David Seymour, NZ First leader Winston Peters, and Government ministers Nicola Willis, Tama Potaka and Shane Jones.
Speaking toward the end of the pōwhiri, Kīngitanga spokesman Rahui Papa spoke directly to Seymour, saying they honoured Seymour for coming and hoped he had learned “we are not that scary”.
Seymour had not attended the King’s recent coronation, Koroneihana, while other Government representatives, including Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, had.
”There was some consternation about Koroneihana, but your arrival here today has allayed all of that. We honour you for fronting up at a very, very important time in the life span of the Kīngitanga and we hope that you have taken something away from today: that we are not that scary, and we can have the discussions face to face because we will look after you.”
He said Seymour had come to “show your aroha and your words to Kīngi Tūheitia today, and we respect that”.
Luxon also spoke at the king’s tangi earlier in the week. Papa – on behalf of the Kīngatanga – replied to the Prime Minister (as is custom during the whaikōrero of a tangi), saying it was just over a week ago that Luxon had “suffered the cannon fodder” of Kīngi Tūheitia during Koroneihana.
Today, the bullets are filled with aroha and we respect and honour you for fronting up again.”
Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.