On 5 November 1919, Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga gave birth to a second healthy son, Prince Uiliami Tuku‘aho. He joined an elder brother, Crown Prince Tāufaʻāhau, and in 1922, they were joined by a third and final brother, Prince Sione Ngū Manumataongo.
Shortly after the birth of her third son, Queen Sālote went to New Zealand for several months for a much-needed break. She left Tonga at the end of October with her three sons, three female companions, and attendants to look after her and the children. At 22, Queen Sālote was still quite young, and she had been Queen for four years. She had also been married to Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi for six years. The ten-year-old Princess Fusipala, the Queen’s half-sister, joined them for part of the holiday.
Following their return from New Zealand, the three princes were sent to a woman named Rachel for early instruction and discipline. All three had to be trained as future leaders, but especially the eldest as the future King. They had a strict childhood, and they were disciplined with beatings. Reportedly, the eldest brother never cried, unlike his younger siblings.
After some time with Rachel, the boys were sent to the Wesleyan “European School.” Dorothy Ferguson, who taught the youngest two, later wrote of their spoiled behaviour, “I had to reprimand Prince John [Sione Ngū] for punching another boy in the eye. Smacked his hand (far too softly) and stood him in the corner. He did not worry about it.”1 They later also attended Tupou College.
Prince Uiliami Tuku‘aho was sickly for much of his life. He had rheumatic fever as a young child and continued to be ill throughout his childhood. Because of this, he was much more indulged by his parents than his brothers. He was frequently in his mother’s company, and in the absence of a daughter, he was entrusted with the Queen’s chiefly knowledge, such as genealogies and the ordering of ceremonies.
The younger brothers eventually joined the Crown Prince at Tupou College, but Tuku‘aho missed many classes because of illness.
At the end of 1935, he was seriously ill again, and his mother cared for him personally. She delegated her duties and was in constant attendance on him. By April 1536, it was clear that he was dying. It seemed that everyone knew, but it was never spoken out loud. Queen Sālote asked Dr Wood to see her son, and he diagnosed dropsy. On 23 April, 30 pints of fluids were drained. The area around them went quiet – there was no music, and the annual Anzac Day was limited to a brief prayer.
Queen Sālote asked the whole kingdom to pray for him, and they did. However, the young Prince died on 28 April around 11.30 p.m. After months of caring for her son, Queen Sālote completely broke down, and her written lament ends with the words, “I always thought he would one day be my main support.”2 His body lay in state on 29 and 30 April in the throne room of the palace.
He was buried on 1 May at the royal burial ground at Mala’e Kula in the vault of his grandmother, Queen Lavinia.
Queen Sālote would later give the name Tuku‘aho to all of her grandchildren.
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