The crown prince of Dubai has ‘liked’ a picture showing Prince William with the reigning Māori queen, Te Arikinui Kuini Nga Wai Hono i te Po, who is visiting London this week. William, the Prince of Wales, met the Māori monarch yesterday at Windsor Castle.
The meeting took place on the morning of May 12, one day after the Māori queen attended the King’s Trust celebration. The official Instagram account of The Prince and Princess of Wales shared a picture from their meeting on Instagram.
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, was among the 2.5 lakh people who ‘liked’ the picture.
Who are the Māori?
The Māori are the Indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. Their ancestors are believed to have travelled across the Pacific Ocean in large ocean-going canoes, arriving in New Zealand more than 700 years ago from islands in eastern Polynesia.
{{/usCountry}}The Māori are the Indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. Their ancestors are believed to have travelled across the Pacific Ocean in large ocean-going canoes, arriving in New Zealand more than 700 years ago from islands in eastern Polynesia.
{{/usCountry}}Over centuries, Māori developed a rich culture deeply connected to land, ancestry, spirituality and community. Their traditions include the haka (a ceremonial dance), intricate tattoo art called tā moko, wood carving, weaving and oral storytelling. The Māori language, te reo Māori, is one of New Zealand’s official languages.
Māori remain an important part of New Zealand’s identity, politics and culture, with growing recognition of Indigenous rights and traditions across the country.
Who is Nga Wai Hono i te Po?
Nga Wai Hono i te Po is the current Māori Queen, or Kuini, in New Zealand. She became the seventh monarch of the Kīngitanga, or Māori King Movement, in 2024 after the death of her father, King Tūheitia.
The Kīngitanga movement was established in the 1850s to unite Māori tribes and strengthen Māori leadership during a period of increasing British colonisation.
Nga Wai Hono i te Po is 29 years old. Her appointment as queen was historically significant because she became the second woman ever to lead the Kīngitanga movement, following her grandmother, Te Atairangikaahu.
Māori queen’s London visit
According to a report in Town&Country, Prince William and the Māori queen discussed “a range of global topics” and she “affirmed her belief in the power of Indigenous knowledge and intergenerational stewardship to help solve the world’s environmental and social challenges.”
Their conversation centred around “a shared passion for environmental solutions that bring together indigenous knowledge and Western science”.
(Also read: Dubai Crown Prince reacts to Kate Middleton’s pic of Princess Charlotte as she turns 10)