Celebrated academic and former children's commissioner Dame Cindy Kiro will be New Zealand's next governor-general.
On Monday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Dame Cindy would succeed Dame Patsy Reddy, who will finish her five-year term in September.
The 63-year-old becomes New Zealand's 22nd governor-general, the fourth woman to hold the role and the first Maori woman.
While the Queen formally appoints her representative in NZ, as in Australia, convention allows the government to recommend a nominee.
Ms Ardern said she spoke to the Queen last week about the appointment, with the monarch describing Dame Cindy as "wholly suitable".
"We are privileged to have someone of Dame Cindy's mana and standing for the role and I am very grateful that she agreed," Ms Ardern said.
"She is an advocate for people."
Dame Cindy, born in Whangarei in 1958, is a public health academic and advocate who has held many academic roles, including as a University of Auckland vice-chancellor.
She was appointed last year as Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to child wellbeing and education.
Dame Cindy said she took the role after "the initial shock and also a huge sense of gratitude and humility at being asked", given her background.
"Not only Maori and a woman but also poor. We were very poor and had a very humble background," she said.
"It truly is incredible to be standing here with this opportunity. I hope that young Maori girls, no matter where they come from life, and actually all girls take some inspiration from that."
Her appointment - welcomed from all sides of politics - is not the first time she has been tapped by Ms Ardern's government.
In 2018, Dame Cindy was asked to chair a major review of the country's welfare system which recommended a major increase in social security payments.
In last week's budget, the government finally delivered on those recommendations by upping benefits.
On Monday, she sidestepped questions on her previous advocacy and of republicanism.
"Clearly I accept the Queen as the Head of State of the Commonwealth and I'm here to support her," she said.
Ms Ardern, who says she is a republican, repeated her view NZ would become a republic within her lifetime but she didn't sense a mood for a public debate on breaking away from the monarchy.
"I don't know that I've ever had one person actually raise with me the issue of being a republic ... I do still think there will be a time and a place, I just don't see it as now," she said.
