Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Kīngi Tūheitia tangi: New Māori monarch announced this morning ahead of funeral proceedings for Kīngi Tūheitia

Julia Gabel
By Julia Gabel
Multimedia Journalist·NZ Herald·
5 Sep, 2024 03:50 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Thousands of mourners from across the country gathered today at Tūrangawaewae Marae for the funeral of Kīngi Tūheitia. Video / Carson Bluck

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.

STORY CONTINUES AFTER LIVE BLOG

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

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.

Taupiri, rising above the Waikato River, is considered an ancestor of Waikato-Tainui iwi. Photo / Mike Scott
Taupiri, rising above the Waikato River, is considered an ancestor of Waikato-Tainui iwi. Photo / Mike Scott

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”.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

”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.

Thousands travelled to Tūrangawaewae Marae to mourn the loss of Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Photo / Mike Scott
Thousands travelled to Tūrangawaewae Marae to mourn the loss of Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Photo / Mike Scott
King Tūhietia's chief advisor Ngira Simmonds speaks to media at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia to mourn the passing of Māori King Tūheitia. Photo / Adam Pearse
King Tūhietia's chief advisor Ngira Simmonds speaks to media at Tūrangawaewae Marae in Ngāruawāhia to mourn the passing of Māori King Tūheitia. Photo / Adam Pearse

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.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark and Labour leader Chris Hipkins were among the people who visited Tūrangawaewae Marae to mourn the passing of Māori King Tūheitia. Photo / Mike Scott
Former Prime Minister Helen Clark and Labour leader Chris Hipkins were among the people who visited Tūrangawaewae Marae to mourn the passing of Māori King Tūheitia. Photo / Mike Scott

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.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

”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.”

Mourners at the tangi of Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Photo / Mike Scott
Mourners at the tangi of Kīngi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII. Photo / Mike Scott

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.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

'Stop this madness': Police promise crackdown on illegal dirt bikers

10 Jul 03:52 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Midweek windfall: Winning Lotto ticket sold in Rotorua

10 Jul 02:37 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

10 Jul 12:40 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

'Stop this madness': Police promise crackdown on illegal dirt bikers

'Stop this madness': Police promise crackdown on illegal dirt bikers

10 Jul 03:52 AM

Several parks and reserves have been vandalised in recent weeks.

Midweek windfall: Winning Lotto ticket sold in Rotorua

Midweek windfall: Winning Lotto ticket sold in Rotorua

10 Jul 02:37 AM
Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

Heavy rain warning likely for BoP – MetService

10 Jul 12:40 AM
Rotorua council takes back control of parking services

Rotorua council takes back control of parking services

09 Jul 09:40 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP