Tūheitia Paki

King Tūheitia (born Tūheitia Paki) is the son of Whatumoana Paki (1926–2011) and Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu (1931–2006), who married in 1952.

He was educated at Rakaumanga School in Huntly, Southwell School in Hamilton and St. Stephen's College (Te Kura o Tipene) in Bombay, south of Auckland.

He has five sisters and one brother: Heeni Katipa ( Paki); Tomairangi Paki; Mihi ki te ao Paki; Kiki Solomon ( Paki); Manawa Clarkson ( Paki), and brother Maharaia Paki.

He is married to Makau Ariki Te Atawhai and they have three children: Whatumoana, Korotangi, and Ngawai Hono I Te Po.

Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero VII (born Tūheitia Paki, 21 April 1955), crowned as Kīngi Tūheitia, is the Māori King.

He is the eldest son of the previous Māori monarch, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and was announced as her successor and crowned on 21 August 2006, the day her tangihanga (funeral rites) took place.

Following his ascent to the throne, the Makau Ariki was appointed patron of the Māori Women's Welfare League in 2007 and Te Kohao Health, a Māori public health organisation.

The King generally speaks publicly only once a year, at the annual celebrations in Ngāruawāhia of his coronation.

Since ascending to the throne his official duties have included attending the following events:

Tūheitia attends hundreds of events every year both nationally and internationally.

He is the patron to several key organisations; including Te Matatini, the largest Māori Cultural Festival in the world, Kirikiriroa Marae a large urban Marae in Hamilton.

He frequently receives international dignitaries, foreign diplomats, members of other royal families, and members of governments.

In 2009 King Tūheitia visited the New Zealand Parliament and was acknowledged in the valedictory speech of the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark.

In the same year, the King accompanied Helen Clark to the United Nations upon her appointment as the United Nations Development Programme administrator.

The King regularly attends significant events of Māoridom up and down the country.

In 2014 the King notably received 26 diplomats to discuss international and trade interests for the Kīngitanga.

In 2014 the King received a group from White Ribbon NZ who were travelling New Zealand promoting an anti-violence campaign.

In 2017, King Tūheitia led a groundbreaking moment for the Kīngitanga by signing a formal Accord with the Minister of Corrections, Louise Lupton of the Department of Corrections, on behalf of the New Zealand Government.

This award-winning Accord led to the development of the Iwi Justice Panels, and also a further partnership venture with Corrections to build a reintegration Center for incarcerated women who gave birth to a child while in prison.

In an exclusive visit to a women's prison in Auckland, the King visited mothers and their children and pledged to do more for all incarcerated people.

In July 2018, the King and Royal family attended the 150th Celebrations of the Ringatu Church; to which the King's eldest grandson, Hikairo, has been baptised.

The King also frequently attends the annual 25 January celebrations of the Ratana Church expressing his continued support for all denominations and his deep desire to unify the people.

In 2018, to honour King Tūheitia and his leadership of the Kīngitanga, the General Synod of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, journeyed to Turangawaewae Marae to join with the multitudes in honouring the 160 years of this Monarchy.

In 2018 the King launched, in collaboration with the New Zealand Police and Ministry of Justice, the Iwi Justice Panel.

This approach to restorative justice aims to reduce incarceration rates among Māori, which are among the highest for an indigenous people in the world.

In December 2023, King Tūheitia issued a royal proclamation to hold a national hui (meeting) to promote Māori unity in January 2024.

The hui was in response to the Kīngitanga movement's concerns that the new National-led coalition government's policies towards the Treaty of Waitangi would reverse "decades of hard fought justice."

The national hui is scheduled to be held at Turangawaewae Marae on 20 January 2024.

Key topics expected to be discussed at the hui include the Government's proposed to abolish Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority), roll back the use of the Māori language in the public service, repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act 2022 and review the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

On 15 January 2024, King Tūheitia met with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka and discussed several of the Government's policies including the proposed Treaty Principles legislation and plans to roll back the use of Māori language in the public service.

In May 2019, King Tūheitia and members of the Whare Ariki travelled to Italy where the King met Pope Francis in a private audience at the Vatican.

The two met and discussed issues pertaining to Te Iwi Maori and indigenous peoples around the world.

King Tūheitia also issued a formal invitation for the Pope to visit Turangawaewae Marae and Aotearoa.

The Poukai is an annual series of visits by the Māori King to marae around and beyond the Tainui region, a tradition that dates back to the 19th century.

Poukai were established by the second Māori King, Tāwhiao, who said "Kua whakatūria e ahau tēnei kaupapa hei whāngai i te pouaru, te pani me te rawakore, he kuaha whānui kua puare ki te puna tangata me te puna kai" (I have instituted this gathering to feed the widowed, the bereaved and the destitute, it is a doorway that has been opened to the multitudes of people and the bounty of food).

There are 29 Poukai every year and King Tūheitia attends each one.

Poukai are a critical event in the Kīngitanga calendar.

A unique element of Poukai is their focus on: te pani (the bereaved), te pouaru (the widowed) and te rawakore (the destitute).

These events, led by the monarch, are put in place to assist and help ease the burdens and challenges faced by people.

King Tūheitia has been at the forefront of many political issues, particularly pertaining to Māori.