Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Eva Corlett in Ngāruawāhia

New Māori queen brings hope for New Zealand in first speech: ‘Being Māori is forever’

A celebration ahead of the new Māori queen Nga Wai Hono i te po Paki speaking in New Zealand. Koroneihana.
New Zealand’s Māori queen Nga wai hono i te po gives her first speech, after ascending to the throne last year, following the death of her father. Photograph: Te Tari o te Kiingitanga

It was the moment thousands had waited a year to see: New Zealand’s new Māori Queen speaking to her people for the first time since being crowned. As a light rain fell, Nga wai hono i te po, the 28-year-old monarch, urged Māori to come together and “walk a new path”.

Nga wai hono i te po, the only daughter and youngest child of the former Māori King, ascended the throne a year ago after her father died peacefully in his sleep. A one-year period of mourning ensued, with custom requiring the queen to withhold speaking publicly.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.