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Biography: Te Atairangikaahu Korokī Te Rata Mahuta Tāwhiao Pōtatau Te Wherowhero

Coronation of Te Atairangikaahu, 1966

Coronation of Te Atairangikaahu, 1966

Princess Piki being appointed the first Māori queen, Te Atairangikaahu, in 1966. She was about to experience the whakawahinga ceremony, in which a bible was held over her head while traditional expressions were recited. The same ceremony, using the same bible, has taken place since the investiture of the first Māori king in 1858.

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New Zealand Herald

Reference: NZH-1028103

Permission of the New Zealand Herald must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

How to cite this page

Rāhui Papa and Paul Meredith. 'Te Atairangikaahu Korokī Te Rata Mahuta Tāwhiao Pōtatau Te Wherowhero', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2020. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/46962/coronation-of-te-atairangikaahu-1966 (accessed 21 June 2026).