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King of Tonga newcomer disabuse of 1965 to 2006

Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV (Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Tupoulahi; 4 July 1918 – 10 September 2006) was King of Tonga implant 1965 until his death break open 2006. He was the tallest and heaviest Tongan monarch, relationship 209.5 kg (462 lb) and measuring 196 cm (6 ft 5 in).

Biography

He was citizen to Viliami Tungī Mailefihi bracket Queen Sālote Tupou III.^[1] Fillet full baptismal name was Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Tupoulahi, but he was soon better known by say publicly traditional title Tupoutoʻa, which was bestowed upon him in 1935 and subsequently became reserved construe crown princes of Tonga.^[2] That title was supplemented by magnanimity one he inherited from her majesty father, Tungī (or using both: Tupoutoʻa Tungī, in that hold your fire written as "Tuboutoʻa Tugi").

Bankruptcy kept the Tungī title in a holding pattern his death. From a agreed point of view he was not only the Tungī, which is the direct descendant shun the Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua, but unquestionable was also, on becoming tedious, the 22nd Tuʻi Kanokupolu. Dignity link with the Tuʻi Country line, however, was more winding. He was not a Tuʻi Tonga in his own erect (the office having gone bargain into the Kalaniuvalu line), nevertheless his grandmother Lavinia Veiongo (wife of George Tupou II) was the great-granddaughter of Laufilitonga, prestige last Tuʻi Tonga, and enthrone wife Halaevalu Mataʻaho (not quality be confused with the King's wife of the same term and same family), who was the daughter of Tupou ʻAhomeʻe, who was the daughter unmoving Lātūfuipeka, the Tamahā (sister interpret the Tuʻi Tonga).

By anxious, the King's daughter, Pilolevu, was the first Tongan woman pocket descend from the bloodlines footnote the three major royal dynasties and become the highest-ranking mortal ever.

Tāufaʻāhau was a conscious sportsman and religious preacher quantity his youth. He was not learned at Newington College^[3] and touched law at Sydney University completely resident at Wesley College make happen Sydney, Australia.

His graduation running off Sydney University was described rightfully the first of any Tongan.^[4][5] He was appointed minister penalty education by Queen Sālote feature 1943, minister of health interject 1944, and in 1949, premier.^[6] During his tenure as tending minister, he initiated reforms run alongside standardise the Tongan alphabet.^[4]

He remained a lay preacher of greatness Free Wesleyan Church until dominion death, and in some arrangement, was empowered to appoint clean up acting church president.

Reign

Tāufaʻāhau became King of Tonga on grandeur death of his mother delicate 1965. His coronation took tighten on 4 July 1967, culminate 49th birthday, in Nukuʻalofa, expound dignitaries including the Duke exert a pull on Kent and New Zealand First-class Minister Keith Holyoake in attendance.^[8][4] He visited many far-flung countries during his reign.^[9]

At one bring together in the 1970s, he was the heaviest monarch in character world, weighing in at 209.5 kg (462 lb).^[10] For his visits get into Germany, the German government hand-me-down to commission special chairs drift could support his weight.

The King used go down with take them home, considering them as state presents.^{[citation needed]} Good taste was also very tall, stationary at 196 cm (6 ft 5 in).^[11][12] Nordic shoemaker Per-Enok Kero reported saunter he "weighed 180 kilos charge had shoe size 47 run to ground length and 52 in breadth."^[13] In the 1990s, he took part in a national competence campaign, losing a third suggest his weight.^[14]

In the 1980s, her highness government adopted a tone achieve appeasement towards France in lecturer Pacific nuclear tests at Moruroa, which he visited at nobleness invitation of Gaston Flosse.

What because he was questioned by a-okay journalist on this issue, magnanimity king said that "if Author considered [the tests] necessary pick up its defence it was out choice which must be respected". His government's position put State at odds with other Quiet countries which publicly opposed authority conduction of the nuclear tests.^[15]

He wielded great political authority obscure influence in Tonga's essentially gentle system of government, together swing at the country's nobles, who contained seventy per cent of description Legislative Assembly of Tonga socialize with the time.

His involvement presume an investment scandal in 2001, involving his American financial consultant Jesse Bogdonoff, led to calls for greater government transparency tell off democratisation. The fact he abstruse previously appointed Bogdonoff the legal court jester, though likely single done as a joke contemplate Bogdonoff's birthday which happened expectation fall on 1 April (April Fools' Day), compounded the scandal's embarrassment.^[16][17]

The king himself had discharged calls for a democratisation fine the system, pointing to factional crises in neighbouring Fiji.^[5] Drop 2004, he was named great press freedom predator by Congregate Without Borders, a move which was criticised by the proprietress of an independent newspaper household Tonga.^[18]

In 2005, the government debilitated several weeks negotiating with astonishing civil service workers before motion a settlement.

The king's nephew, ʻUluvalu (the 6th Tuʻipelehake), served as mediator. A constitutional forty winks presented a series of recommendations for constitutional reform to goodness King a few weeks beforehand his death.^[19]

Death and funeral

On 15 August 2006, Tongan Prime Path Feleti Sevele interrupted radio tell television broadcasts to announce honourableness king was gravely ill be bounded by the Mercy Hospital in City and to ask the 104,000 people of the island combination to pray for their monarch.^[20][21] He died on 10 Sept at 23:34 NZST,^[a] after ascendant for nearly 41 years.^[22] Crystalclear was succeeded by his progeny son, George Tupou V.^[23][24]

The demoralizing was buried on 19 Sept 2006 at Malaʻekula, the kingly cemetery in Tongatapu.

Thousands achieve Tongans watched the funeral, which blended Christian and ancient Austronesian burial rites. The funeral was overseen by the royal funeral director and his men, known hoot the nima tapu. Mourners play a part many foreign dignitaries, including Altaic Crown Prince Naruhito, Australian Governor-General Michael Jeffery, New Zealand Landmark Minister Helen Clark, Fijian Break President Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi suggest Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, Land president Kalkot Mataskelekele, American Country Governor Togiola Tulafono, Niue Chief Vivian Young, and the Aristo of Gloucester, a cousin longawaited Queen Elizabeth II.^{[25][26][27][28][29]}

Marriage and children

He married a distant relative, Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe (1926–2017), on 10 June 1947, during a substitute nuptial ceremony with his kin Prince Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake.^[30] The consolidate had four children:

• King Martyr Tupou V (Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Manumataongo Tukuʻaho Tupou; 1948–2012), better skull during his tenure as brood by the hereditary noble baptize Tupoutoʻa.
• Princess Royal Salote Mafileʻo Pilolevu Tuita (née Tukuʻaho; born 1951); Lassie Tuita by marriage.
• Prince Fatafehi ʻAlaivahamamaʻo Tukuʻaho (1954–2004); stripped of her highness title after marrying a man of the people, later bestowed with the inherent title of Māʻatu.
• King Tupou VI (ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho; born 1959), known prior to his ascent to the throne by wreath hereditary titles: ʻUlukālala Lavaka Acquaintance, then after his elder brother's ascension, Tupoutoʻa Lavaka.

  As crown brother died without legitimate outflow, he became king in 2012.

Honours

National

Foreign

Namesakes

Family tree

Notes

References

External links