Nga Wai hono i te po Paki is the youngest daughter of King Tuheitia, who died on Aug 30 after heart surgery. - Photo: AFP
NGARUAWAHIA, (New Zealand): New Zealand’s Maori chiefs anointed a 27-year-old queen as their new monarch on Thursday (Sept 5), a surprise choice hailed as a symbol of change for the country’s sometimes troubled Indigenous community.
Nga Wai hono i te po Paki was cheered by thousands as she climbed atop a high-backed wooden throne during an elaborate ceremony on the country’s North Island.
