New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will travel to London with a six-member delegation of dignitaries for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. In addition to Governor General Cindy Kiro, Maori King Tuheitia Paki will also travel on Monday for the funeral.
After the Queen’s death, Paki, 67, recalled that she had visited the official residence of the Maori kings, Turangawaewae Marae, several times during her long stint on the throne.
“It is a privilege to attend the funeral along with other New Zealanders from different walks of life to pay our respects on behalf of all New Zealanders,” Ardern announced on Tuesday. The Queen was much loved and admired in New Zealand, she said.
The nation in the Pacific Ocean is part of the Commonwealth. The British monarch is the head of state.