Dame Cindy attended the Global Leaders Pōwhiri at Tūrangawaewae as part of this year’s Koroneihana celebrations – marking Her Excellency’s first Koroneihana as Governor-General.
At a spectacular gathering bringing together Kīngitanga, iwi, Pacific leaders, and guests from across Aotearoa and beyond, Dame Cindy acknowledged Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, reflecting on the example she offers to many across Aotearoa: 'I know many rangatahi – particularly young wāhine Māori – will look to you and see a model of leadership that is both grounded in whakapapa, and alive to the hopes, challenges, and possibilities of our time.'
Her Excellency also paid tribute to the late Kiingi Tūheitia, and reflected on kotahitanga as an enduring principle of the Kīngitanga and one that has guided her own term as Governor-General.
To find more images from the celebrations, please visit the image gallery for Koroneihana 2026.
To read Dame Cindy's full speech, please visit Her Excellency's speech at Koroneihana 2026.