Tāwhiao's prophecy
King Tāwhiao prophesied, ‘Kei te haere mai te wa, ka puta mai i taku pito ake, he wahine, he urukehu, mana hei whakatutuki i tenei oranga.’1 (The time is coming when from my loins a woman will come of fair complexion. She will pave the way to the fulfilment of this recovery.)
Crowning
The young Princess Piki was crowned Kuini Te Atairangikaahu before Korokī's burial. She became the first woman to lead the Kīngitanga and the first Māori queen. Tāwhiao’s prophecy had come true. She assumed her mother’s name, Te Atairangikaahu, and quickly endeared herself to her people with wise but gentle leadership. She assumed the Māori title Te Arikinui and among Waikato people was affectionately known as ‘The Lady’.
Public life and awards
Te Atairangikaahu welcomed and entertained many dignitaries. In 1970 she was made a dame, and in 1973 she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Waikato. She and Sir Edmund Hillary were the first people to be inducted into the Order of New Zealand in 1987, and she was made an honorary doctor of laws by Victoria University of Wellington in 1999.
Under the leadership of Te Atairangikaahu and her stepbrother, Robert Mahuta, the matter of the raupatu (land confiscations) was finally settled. In May 1995 the Crown signed a Deed of Settlement with Waikato-Tainui, the Crown compensating the iwi with $170 million, including the return of a small amount of land.
Death
When Te Atairangikaahu died on 15 August 2006, she was the longest-serving Māori monarch, having reigned for 40 years. The high regard in which she was held was evident from the many thousands who attended her tangihanga, both Māori and Pākehā, as well as many foreign dignitaries.