In a poignant ceremony in Ngaruawahia, New Zealand, thousands gathered to bid farewell to Maori King Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII and witness the historic ascension of his daughter to the throne. The new queen, Nga wai hono i te po, at 27 years old, becomes the second woman to hold the esteemed position in the Maori monarchy's tradition dating back to 1858.
The funeral procession, marked by mourners in traditional attire and adorned with symbolic elements, culminated in a solemn ceremony at Turangawaewae marae, where the late king's casket lay draped in feathered cloaks. The new queen, accompanied by a flotilla of traditional canoes, guided her father along the Waikato River to his final resting place, Taupiri Maunga.
