New Zealand‘s Maori King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII died on Friday morning surrounded by his wife and three children. He was 69.
The monarch was admitted to a hospital, where he underwent heart surgery just days after the 18th anniversary of his coronation.
“The death of Kiingi Tuheitia is a moment of great sadness for followers of Te Kiingitanga, Maoridom and the entire nation,” spokesperson Rahui Papa said in a statement.
King Charles III said he was “profoundly saddened” by the death of the decades-long friend to the British royal family. Charles said news of King Tuheitia’s death “is a particular shock”, with the two having shared a long friendship.
The king was born Tuheitia Paki in 1955 and succeeded his mother, Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu, in 2006. “I believe the future is a new horizon where Maori take the lead,” he said at the celebration of his coronation anniversary earlier this month.
“Let’s keep pushing forward while we are currently facing a storm, there’s no need to worry. In this storm we are strong. Together. The wind in our sails is unity, and with that we will reach our destination,” he added.
The Maori king is considered the paramount chief of several tribes, or iwi, but is not affiliated with all of them. The monarch’s role has no judicial or legal authority in New Zealand and is largely ceremonial.
The King Movement, or Kiingitanga, originated in 1858 in an attempt to unite the indigenous tribes of New Zealand under a single leader to strengthen their resistance to colonialism.
The role of the monarch is not necessarily hereditary and the new leader will be appointed by heads of tribes associated with the King Movement on the day of King Tuheitia’s funeral but before he is buried, according to Radio New Zealand.
Christopher Luxon, the prime minister of New Zealand, in a post on X said: “Today, we mourn the loss of Kiingi Tuheitia.
“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.
“I will remember his dedication to Aotearoa New Zealand, his commitment to mokopuna (Maori for grandson), his passion for te ao Maori (the Maori language), and his vision for a future where all people are treated with dignity and respect.”
King Charles said he would look back on his friendship with Tuheitia with “immense fondness”, having visited New Zealand in 2015, where he and Queen Camilla visited the town of Ngaruawahia with the king and his wife, Makau Ariki.
“He was deeply committed to forging a strong future for Maori and Aotearoa New Zealand founded upon culture, traditions and healing, which he carried out with wisdom and compassion,” Charles said.
“His death is a particular shock in view of the fact that I had only very recently spoken to Kiingi on the telephone at the beginning of August.”
Former New Zealand prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern described him as “an advocate for Maori, for fairness, justice and prosperity”.
She told ABC King Tuheitia “worked tirelessly on building understanding and knowledge of our shared history and in doing so, strengthening Aotearoa”.