A new Māori queen has been crowned in New Zealand.
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō Paki will succeed her late father as the monarch of many Māori iwi (communities).
The 27-year-old is the second woman to take the throne. The first was her grandmother, Dame Te Atairangikaahu.
Her coronation marked the end of a week of mourning for Kīngi Tuheitia, who died last week aged 69.
She enters power at a time of political tension between the New Zealand Government and the Māori people.
Background
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō Paki is the youngest child and only daughter of the late King, who reigned for 18 years.
On Thursday, the Kīngitanga (Māori monarchy) officially announced that Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō Paki had been chosen as the new leader.
The role is not automatically inherited — she was chosen by Māori elders above both of her older brothers.
The monarchy is recognised by many, though not all, Māori groups.
Ceremony
A traditional ceremony this week marked the end of six days of mourning for the late King.
Thousands of people gathered to welcome the new monarch, who was appointed using the same Bible used to appoint the first Māori King in 1858.
Sacred oils were used to bestow her with “prestige, sacredness, power and spiritual essence.”
Following the ceremony, the late King’s coffin was taken to a sacred burial place.
Political Tensions
The monarch’s role is largely ceremonial and has no judicial or legal authority in New Zealand.
Ngā Wai Hono i te Pō has come to power in a period of significant political tension between the Māori people and the New Zealand Government.
This follows the election of a new government last November, which has eliminated the Māori Health Authority, and moved away from te reo Māori (language) names for Government departments.
