The revelation was shared on social media on Friday morning local time (Thursday evening GMT) by the Kiingitanga, or Māori king movement.
Only a few days after commemorating the 18th anniversary of his coronation, the monarch was in the hospital recuperating following heart surgery, according to spokesman Rahui Papa.
The nation, Maaoridom, and Te Kiingitanga followers are deeply saddened by Kiingi Tuheitia’s passing, the spokesman stated. “A leader who has departed into the vast afterlife. Love, rest in peace.
The Kiingitanga’s leaders will select King Tuheitia’s successor, who might not be revealed until after his funeral rites are over.
According to media sources in New Zealand, the monarch is scheduled to lie in state for five days in the Māori king’s residence, Turangawaewae Marae, before being brought to rest on Taupiri Mountain.
The role of the Māori king began in 1858, when the Māori people sought to maintain their culture and try to stop the British colonists from taking much of their country. They did this by creating a figurehead that resembled a European monarch. The majority of the job is ceremonial.
