New Zealand: 27YO Daughter Of Late King Of Māori Community Crowned Queen

The royal seat of New Zealand's Māori was embraced by 27-year-old Nga Wai Hono i Te Po Paki as she was crowned the Queen of the land in an emotional ceremony. The ceremony carried mournful memories of the current queen's father and former king's demise, the funeral for which took a week before the crowning.

Māori's former king's daughter Nga Wai Hono i Te Po Paki was crowned as the queen of the community. Her father ruled the same land for the past 18 years. 

The Second Queen 

Did you know, this is the 8th time Maori family has held the royal seat? But a queen has embraced it only one time prior to Nga Wai Hono i Te Po Paki, who has become the second queen of the Maori land.

The first queen was her grandmother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu. She ruled from 1966-2006. 2006 was the year she died and her son took over the throne. 

The Crowning Ceremony cum Funeral

The ceremony took place in the North Island Town of Ngaruawahia. A huge and blindsiding crowd arrived at the scene to soak in the regal moment. 

The two sacred props used were the bible and some holy oils. The bible was placed on the new and upcoming queen's head, as part of the crowning tradition. It is the same bible that was used in 1858 and is supposed to carry their family blessing.  She was bathed in sacred oils that bestowed "prestige, sacredness, power and spiritual essence" upon her. The throne lay next to her father's coffin. 

The coffin was carried to Turangawaewae and along the banks of the Wakito River, his body was set to rest and attain peace. Thousands of TV screens and recording materials were planted to stream the video of the funeral procession. 

The new queen's visible tears vowed to carry his father's legacy and his idea of submission to the land. To remember the words of the late Maori King, 

"Just be Maori. Be Maori, all day every day. We are here. We are strong."