Aides stated that the 69-year-old king of the Indigenous Maori people of New Zealand had “passed to the great beyond” after passing away on Friday while recovering from heart surgery.
A spokesman stated that King Tuheitia died quietly in the company of his loved ones, a few days after commemorating the 18th anniversary of his coronation. He had been recuperating in the hospital following heart surgery.
“The death of Kiingi Tuheitia is a moment of great sadness,” the spokesperson added in a statement. “A chief who has passed to the great beyond. Rest in love.”
In 1858, the Maori King movement, or Kiingitanga, was established with the intention of unifying the Indigenous Maori people of New Zealand under a single sovereign. Despite having no official legal existence, the position is very crucial politically and symbolically.
Approximately 900,000 people, or 17 percent of the total population, are Maori in New Zealand today.
The official head of state of New Zealand, King Charles III, expressed his dismay at the news after speaking with King Tuheitia over the phone.
“My wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the death of Kiingi Tuheitia,” the king said in a statement.
“I had the greatest pleasure of knowing Kiingi Tuheitia for decades.
“He was deeply committed to forging a strong future for Maori and Aotearoa-New Zealand founded upon culture, traditions and healing, which he carried out with wisdom and compassion,” he said, using the country’s Maori and English-language names.
The UK monarch said he remembered with “immense fondness” his meetings with King Tuheitia in New Zealand in 2015 and at Buckingham Palace last year.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon led the tributes from the Pacific nation as flags on government and public buildings were flown at half-mast.
“Today, we mourn,” Luxon said in a statement from Tonga, where he is attending the Pacific Islands Forum.
“His unwavering commitment to his people and his tireless efforts to uphold the values and traditions of the Kiingitanga have left an indelible mark on our nation.
“I will remember his dedication to Aotearoa New Zealand, his commitment to mokopuna (young people), his passion for te ao Maori (customs), and his vision for a future where all people are treated with dignity and respect.”
