WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s Maori King Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII died peacefully on Friday morning at age 69, according to a statement released by his representatives.
“The death of Kiingi Tuheitia is a moment of great sadness for followers of Te Kiingitanga, Maoridom and the entire nation,” spokesman Rahui Papa said on social media. He added that the king had been in hospital recovering from heart surgery just days after celebrating the 18th anniversary of his coronation. Kiingi Tuheitia succeeded his mother, Queen Dame Te Atairangikaahu, in 2006.
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. New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in a statement that the country would mourn the loss of Kiingi Tuheitia.
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