Sir Paul Reeves, a former Governor-General of New Zealand, has been diagnosed with cancer.
Sir Paul, 78, has withdrawn from all public roles to spend more time with his family and has asked for privacy.
He became Archbishop of New Zealand in 1980 and served as the Queen's representative from 1985 until 1990.
A spokesperson, the Reverend Jayson Rhodes, says Sir Paul will continue as Chancellor of AUT University, but will inevitably step back from some elements of that role in time.
