Click here to see more photos of the celebrations

The engagement celebration follows a traditional Tongan ritual [...]]]> Tonga’s Prince ‘Ulukalala celebrated his engagement on January 20th in Sydney, Australia. The 27 year old Prince who is second in line to the throne to due to marry 25 year old the Hon. Sinaitakala Fakafanua.

Click here to see more photos of the celebrations

The engagement celebration follows a traditional Tongan ritual known as Faitohi in July 2011. Held at “Siatapu”, Ma’ufanga Nuku’alofa, the ritual is where a man courts and woos a woman. It basically is the Tongan way of announcing an engagement.

Prince ‘Ukukalala is the son of Crown Prince Tupouto’a Lavaka and Crown Princess Nanasipau’u Tuku’aho while Sinatakala is the only daughter of Princess ‘Ofeina-‘e he-Langi Fakafanua and the late Lord Fakafanua. The two are second cousins.

The couple will wed on May 4th 2012.

The announcement of the upcoming nuptials raises the question on how Tonga’s royals will manage to keep their blood blue as the number of eligible families shrink in the South Pacific nation. The way it used to be is that the heir to the Tongan throne of the Tu’i Kanokupolu dynasty kept its royal status by marrying members of the royal family to the descendants of the earlier dynasties, the Tu’i Tonga and the Tu’i Ha’a Takalaua.

That is no longer done and these days, there are fewer and fewer noble families to marry with. The Tongan royals now have to either marry their relatives or break with tradition and marry commoners – something most royals in the world are doing.

Sources: Taimi Online, Click Tonga Today

REUTERS/Peter Halmagy

This comes as a relief for many Tongans, who have been looking for reform for years. Even [...]]]> After less than two years being crowned as Tonga’s absolute monarch, King Siaosi Tupou V will relinquish much of his powers and allow democracy onto his small Pacific nation for the first time.

REUTERS/Peter Halmagy

This comes as a relief for many Tongans, who have been looking for reform for years. Even the King’s late father admitted on his deathbed it was time for change in his kingdom.

Teisina Fuko, president of the Tongan People’s Democratic Party, told the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, “Tonga can now go ahead and develop a political party system like those seen in New Zealand and Australia.”

Currently, Tonga has a political system much like feudalism. Its Parliament is filled with aristocrats, chiefs and other supporters of the monarchy. King Siaosi himself has the ability to apoint the prime minister and other ministers.

Perhaps it became obvious to the King to give up his absolute authority when his coronation was delayed two years due to pro-democracy riots.

Most Tongans look towards the monarchy with affection, but there is concern over its future. The King, age 61, is unmarried and there is no heir apparent yet.

AFP

There is even more anger brewing as reports say Tongan politicians previously warned the [...]]]> Anger is sweeping through the Pacific kingdom of Tonga, as citizens learn that their monarch, King Siaosi Tupou V, left for a Scottish vacation hours after being told about the sinking of a ferry, which killed 64 people.

AFP

There is even more anger brewing as reports say Tongan politicians previously warned the King and his government that the ferry, the Princess Ashikha, was too dangerous for operation.

“It failed to meet safety requirements,” said MP Akilisi Pohiva, who spent the last two weeks trying to stop the Princess Ashika from sailing. “It did not follow the safety requirements before it left for the island … according to the information there were a few lifeboats on board but I don’t know whether they managed to untie the lifeboats before the vessel was completely drowned.”

The cause of the ferry sinking is still under police investigation. It was en route from Nuku’alofa, Tonga’s capital to Ha’afeva in the Nomuka Islands group.

Meanwhile, grieving Tongans are turning to Princess Pilolevi Tuita, the King’s sister, for comfort. It was she King Siaosi left as Regent as he attends a military tattoo in Scotland. The Princess has been doing such duties as welcoming survivors home and addressing the island nation.

“The King hopes that the Almighty will continue to comfort those that are in so pain and grief over the incident,” Pilolevi Tuita said.

“Peaceful, harmony and a stable family brings a peaceful and strong nation. In this regards, I remind the citizens of Tonga that at this time of loss, there’s no need to point fingers and hate each other. But, as Tongans, we must stand together and mourn the loss of those in the tragic event.”

While some Tongans are upset that King Siaosi left a grieving nation, there are some who stand by him

“If you organize something very important, what do you do? I think the King made the right decision,” says resident Maasi Taukeiahlotongan.

The Prince was appointed by King Siaosi Tupou V on April 30th, and a prayer service at a Wesleyan Church officiated his position.

He now fills a ministry left [...]]]> Prince Tu’ipelehake has been named Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and Forestry on the small Polynesian island of Tonga.

The Prince was appointed by King Siaosi Tupou V on April 30th, and a prayer service at a Wesleyan Church officiated his position.

He now fills a ministry left open by Peauafi Haukinima, who left the position in 2007.

Watching the prayer ceremony was Princess Pilolevu Tuita, wife Princess Ene’io, the Prime Minister Hon Dr Feleti Sevele and Cabinet Ministers.

Tonga’s Cabinet advises the King, and also serves as a Supreme Court.

Wearing a the heavy gold crown, red velvet robe trimmed in ermine fur, and carrying a sceptre and a ring, Tonga’s 23rd monarch sat upon a gold [...]]]> Tonga crowned King Siaosi Tupou V in a lavish ceremony in the capital of Nuku’alofa. This coronation was the first for Tonga in over 40 years.

Wearing a the heavy gold crown, red velvet robe trimmed in ermine fur, and carrying a sceptre and a ring, Tonga’s 23rd monarch sat upon a gold throne, and was anointed with oil during a Christian ceremony. A massed choir sang Handel’s coronation anthem, Zadok The Priest. Royals from Japan, Thailand and the United Kingdom watched on, as did 1,000 other dignitaries and non-ruling royals from the South Pacific.

A 21-cannon salute and the tolling of church bells marked the coronation. The new 60 year old monarch was called upon to rule “wisely, justly and truly”.

Thousands of people had lined the route to the church and cheered when the new monarch emerged.

The crowning was the latest in four days of festivities. Wednesday saw a traditional ceremony where the King was presented with dozens of roasted pigs, hundreds of bowls of fruit, and kava, a mild narcotic drink. As is the custom, the king slurped the kava down in one, to the cheers and applause of his audience. At that very moment he became the king.

The other celebrations included an open air concert, a rugby match and traditional dancing. Nuku’alofa is completely decorated with flags, balloons, and streamers all in the name of Tonga’s new king.

How much of king Tupou will be remains to be seen. Tonga is one of the few countries where the monarch actually rules. It has a semi-feudal system where the upper class rule. This new King has said he will give up his powers to make his island nation a more democratic one.

There has been some controversy over the expensive ceremonies marking the new Tongan king. It is believed that about 2.5 million dollars has been spent, in a country where many live in poverty.

But Tongan Prime Minister Feleti Sevele says it is nationalism that allows the lavishness.

“This is about joy and celebration and pride in being Tongan,” he said. “It is putting our country in the world’s spotlight.”

Tonga’s royal family dates back to the 17th century. They are the last ruling royals in the South Pacific. Many others, such as Hawaii and Fiji lost theirs. “The other countries in the Pacific that have lost their royal families – they regret it now,” Sevele told the UK’s Guardian newspaper.

Before inheriting the throne after the death of his father in 2006, Tupou was a commercial businessman, which he gave up after becoming King. He has a playboy reputation, with his London cab cars and celebrity friends, such as Mick Jagger and Elle MacPherson. He reads music, plays the piano and double bass, can converse in French and German, has a smattering of Chinese and Japanese. He plans to have influence over Tongan education, and have students learn English, Chinese and Japanese due to the influence of China and Japan throughout Asia.

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