Getty ImagesKiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, the Mori monarch of New Zealand, passed away peacefully at the age of 69, surrounded by his wife and three children.
The Kiingitanga, or Māori king movement, announced the news on social media on Friday morning local time ( Thursday evening GMT ).
Only days after the king’s 18th birthday, official Rahui Papa reported that the king had been recovering from heart surgery in a hospital.
The official said:” The death of Kiingi Tuheitia is a moment of great anguish for Te Kiingitanga, Maaoridom, and the whole country.” ” A captain who has left for the wonderful beyond.” Sleep in like”.
Getty ImagesRulers within the Kiingitanga may select King Tuheitia’s leader, who may not be known until the conclusion of his funeral services, which typically last for at least three days.
According to reports from New Zealand press, the prince was scheduled to spend five days in the state of Turangawaewae Marae, the Mori king’s seats, before setting foot on Taupiri Mountain.
Theitia Paki, the prince, was born in 1955. He was crowned in 2006 following the death of his mother, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.
The Māori king position dates back to 1858.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon paid tribute to the king on social media, saying: “His unwavering commitment to his people and his tireless efforts to uphold the values and traditions of the Kiingitanga have left an indelible mark on our nation.”
AFPThe Māori king attended King Charles III’s coronation in May 2023 and privately met the British monarch before the celebration.
The two moreover made friends in 2015 when the then-Prince-Charles and his wife Camilla traveled to New Zealand.
In 2014, the king declined to meet Prince William and Princess Kate, then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, on their tour to New Zealand because he said the 60 to 90 minutes allocated for the visit was not enough time.
More reporting by Kathryn Armstrong