It came as no surprise that King Tuheitia would succeed his mother the Maori Queen, Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu.
His destiny was foreseen at her Coronation 40 years ago by the late Ngati Pikiao paramount chief, Te Pokiha Hemana, and consecrated on her funeral day held Monday.
Back then, in his closing speech, Te Pokiha Hemana asked that Tuheitia, who was just 11 years old at the time, become her successor reinstating a king to lead the Tainui people. King Tuheitia on Monday was bestowed the royal title by tribal leaders before his mother was taken for burial on Taupiri maunga.
The late Dame Te Ata herself was crowned at the funeral of her father, King Koroki Mahuta buried at Taupiri on May 18, 1966.
Also on that day Te Pokiha Hemana was the last speaker when he asked that her Crown be handed down to Tuheitia when the time came.
Ngati Pikiao elders said that no one stood to speak after Te Pokiha.
To Te Pokiha Hemana, restoring the kingitanga to a male heir was the natural order of hierarchy within the Maori world. Fifty-one-year-old Tuheitia Paki is the eldest son of the late Dame Te Ata's seven children. His sister Heeni is the elder of all the children and both are skilled in taking up the duties of their mother.
Hundreds of tribal leaders attended her tangi held and the sixth day bore witness to the making of their new King Tuheitia.
Media speculations ran rife over the six days of mourning predicting potential leaders and tribes that might challenge the Waikato royal family - te kahui ariki.
But the sub-tribe that hails from Te Arawa, Ngati Pikiao has a long history going back to their ancestor Hekemaru. Hekemaru was the progenitor of the royal dynasty established when Potatau Te Wherowhero became the first Maori king in 1858.
The flagstaff that overlooks the stately Mahinarangi at Turangawaewae marae was gifted by Te Pokiha's father, Hemana, aptly named Pikiao.
The story goes that Pikiao was sent to the Waikato urged by his father Kawatapuarangi to seek a woman that would bear him a male heir.
He and his wife Rakeiti had three daughters and in spite of her pleas for patience that she will bear sons, Pikiao followed his father's advice and sought the beautiful and high ranking chieftainess, a puhi named Rereiao.
She lived at Pirongia maunga and was jealously guarded by the fairy people, patupaiarehe, and despite male suitors Pikiao was the one to overcome her guardians and took Rereiao as his wife.
They had a son, Hekemaru whose descendants established the Kingitanga when in 1858 Potatau Te Wherowhero was crowned the first of five Maori kings.
King Potatau was succeeded by his son King Tawhiao, who was followed by his son King Mahuta.
King Te Rata came next and was succeeded by his son King Koroki Mahuta.
Based on the strength of her whakapapa (genealogy) King Koroki's daughter the late Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu became the first Maori queen and the longest serving monarch.
The Kingitanga, or Maori king movement, grew out of a need to resist the growing domination of land grabbing colonialists.
However, the tribes' resistance resulted in more than 400,000ha of their most productive lands being confiscated, raupatu.
King Tawhiao, who took refuge in Ngati Maniapoto territory that became known as the King Country, fought against the land confiscations and sought redress.
It was during the reign of Te Arikinui, Dame Te Ata, that Tainui finally succeeded and the $170 million settlement in 1995 was a major achievement for the Maori people.
Today, Tuheitia inherits the legacy left to him by his mother and her predecessors, and without doubt, he will retain the loyal support of his Tainui people and the many other tribes throughout the motu.
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