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Overview
This mere, named Wehiwehi, is one of two mere pounamu presented to His Royal Highness the Duke of Windsor (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David, Prince of Wales) on the occassion of his visit to New Zealand in April-May 1920. Wehiwehi was gifted by the fourth Māori King Te Rata Mahuta Pōtatau Te Wherowhero. The other significant Waikato mere pounamu that was gifted was Kauwhata, presesnted on behalf of Tupu Atanatiu Taingakawa Te Waharoa.
Kauwhata and Wehiwehi are named after significant ancestors from the Tainui tribes, Kauwhata and his son Wehiwehi.
A comtemporary account of the Royal Visit descibes the event, "The elders and young people of the tribes squat on the ground on both sides of the steps;...all the while the thin stream of Native girls and women, half amused and half shy, coming forward without conversation and showering gifts of mats, meres, and flags at the feet of the Prince. There are three carved walking-sticks (one from Sir James Carroll), two large meres from the "King" natives, the larger (Wehiwehi) from Rata Mahuta and the other (Kauwhata) from Tupu Taingakawa..."
Kauwhata and Wehiwehi were subsequently acquired by Mohamed al-Fayed, Egyptian businessman and then owner of Harrods, when he purchased the house and entire contents of the late Duke and Duchess of Windsor's Paris estate in 1986.