New Zealand ’s 29-year-old Maori Queen, Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, had a “heartfelt” discussion with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Thursday during an official visit to the UK. This was the first meeting between the British monarch and Te Arikinui since she became Maori Queen in 2024 following the death of her father , Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII. According to a spokesperson for the Kiingitanga (the Maori monarchy ), the discussions included reflections on the passing of the late Maori King, as well as conversations about the future of Te Tiriti o Waitangi – the Treaty of Waitangi. The treaty, signed in 1840 by over 500 Maori chiefs and the British Crown, is seen as the cornerstone of Maori rights legislation in New Zealand . “Te Arikinui is focused on strong relationships between peoples as Aotearoa New Zealand approaches the 200-year anniversary of the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in 2040,” the spokesperson said.…