ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku
Elisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku

The Year of Queen Sālote Tupou III – The life and death of ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku

ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku was born on 18 May 1850 as the daughter of Tēvita ʻUnga, who became  Crown Prince of Tonga in 1875, and Fifita Vava’u. Her father was born to a secondary wife, so he only became Crown Prince after the death of his younger half-brother, Prince Vuna Takitakimālohi. Fusipala’s grandfather was the first [read more]

Sir Basil Thomson
Sālote Tupou III

The Year of Queen Sālote Tupou III – The Treaty of Friendship

Tonga now has formal relations with many countries, but perhaps its longest-running formal relationship is with the United Kingdom. Expeditions to Tonga were led by the British explorer James Cook in 1773, 1774 and 1777. Missionaries travelled to Tonga, which led to conversions to Christianity – more specifically, Wesleyan Methodism – and strong religious ties [read more]