On 14 September 1894, after the death of his father King Tawhiao in August, Mahuta Tawhiao Potatau Te Wherowhero was deemed to have become the third Māori King. He was anointed by Tupu Taingakawa Te Waharoa, known as the kingmaker, and formally entered Te Kauhanganui (the house of his parliament) on 15 September.

Mahuta has been described as "a man of fine appearance, of reserved disposition, and of very few words." Yet he steered the Kingitanga movement through a period of many changes and turmoil. As his Te Ara biographer notes, "although the kingdom was shrinking in size and influence, in many ways it was assuming a more formal organisational shape. When Mahuta succeeded to the throne, many of the plans of Te Kauhanganui were being formalised for the first time and mana motuhake (local autonomy) was being realised to some extent." While King, Mahuta faced issues around the confiscation of Waikato land, potential unity with Te Kotahitanga, pākehā political systems such as the Legislative Council, and sometimes-difficult personal relationships. He died at Waahi on 9 November 1912, and was buried on Taupiri Mountain.

This striking portrait of Mahuta Tawhiao Potatau Te Wherowhero comes from the Patents and Copyright series held at Archives New Zealand (PC4). It was sent to the office by Auckland photographer R. Love in November 1912, but it is unclear when the photograph was taken.

Archives Reference: PC4 Box 38/ 1912/37

A full biography of Mahuta Tawhiao Potatau Te Wherowhero can be found at Te Ara

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