The future consort of Queen Sālote Tupou III was born on 1 November 1887 as the son of Siaosi Tukuʻaho and Lady Mele Siuʻilikutapu. From an early age, he was accustomed to being in command. As was usual with high-born children, he was carried around by his personal matāpule. When he was eight years old, [read more]
In Tonga, there were at least three titles, known as lines of “kings.” Membership of the aristocracy was determined by one’s descent from the most ancient and thus the highest line, which was called the Tu’i Tonga. Before the Tupou dynasty, there was also the line of the Tu’i Ha’atakalaua, which went extinct in 1799. [read more]
In early 1917, Princess Sālote’s father became ill, and it was clear that he was declining quickly. Around this time, a suitor for Sālote was settled on, and he met with the approval of the Privy Council, the public and the royal family. His name was Tungī Mailefihi. Wedding preparations began in earnest, and there [read more]
Read part one here. In 1942, the defence of Tonga became the responsibility of the United States and Queen Sālote agreed that the Americans could have a base in Tonga during the war. A United States warship and seaplane arrived on 3 March 1942, followed by two reconnaissance officers at the end of the month. [read more]
As the Second World War loomed large, the British government asked for the support of all the countries within the British Empire. Queen Sālote told the British High Commissioner that Tonga would place all of its resources at Great Britain’s disposal. On 3 September 1939, Tonga officially declared war on Germany. The government immediately called [read more]
Princess Sālote’s mother, Lavinia, died in 1902 when Sālote was just two years old. Her parents’ marriage had been quite controversial as King George had originally been meant to marry Princess ʻOfakivavaʻu, but he had chosen Lavinia instead. With Lavinia dead and in order to appease those who had been offended by his first marriage, [read more]
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