Prince Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake (Sione Ngū Manumataongo; 7 January 1922 – 10 April 1999)[1] was the youngest son of Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga. He was the prime minister of Tonga from 1965 to 1991, a record tenure of over 25 years, serving under his brother King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV.
| Prince Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake of Tonga | |
|---|---|
.png) Prince Tu'ipelehake in 1967 | |
| Prime Minister of Tonga | |
| Term | 16 December 1965 – 22 August 1991 |
| Monarch | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV |
| Predecessor | Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa-Tungī |
| Successor | Baron Vaea |
| Deputy | Mahe Tupouniua Siosaia Aleamotuʻa Tuita Baron Vaea |
| Born | 7 January 1922 Royal Palace, Nuku'alofa, Tonga |
| Died | 10 April 1999 (aged 77) Auckland, New Zealand |
| Burial | |
| Spouse | Princess Melenaite Tupoumoheofo Veikune |
| Issue | Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu Princess 'Elisiva Fusipala Vaha'i Prince ʻUluvalu Takeivulangi Princess Lavinia Mata-ʻo-Tāone Princess Sinaitakala 'Ofeina 'e he Langi Prince Viliami Tupoulahi Mailefihi |
| Father | Viliami Tungī Mailefihi |
| Mother | Sālote Tupou III |
| Religion | Methodism |
Early life
editTuʻi Pelehake attended Newington College, Sydney, (1941–1942)[2] and Gatton Agricultural College, Queensland, Australia.[3] On 10 June 1947, Fatafehi married Melenaite Tupoumoheofo Veikune (13 November 1924 – 16 March 1993) in a double marriage ceremony (taʻane māhanga) with his older brother, the Crown Prince (at the time known as Tupoutoʻa-Tungī), who also married Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe.[4] He received the title Tuʻi Pelehake (Fatafehi) from his mother (Queen Sālote) in 1944, and he also received the second-highest title of Tonga, Tuʻi Faleua (king of the second house).
From a non-traditional side, he was conferred an honorary CBE in 1966.[3] He inherited from his mother an artistic side; he was a well-known poet and composer.
Politics
editHis career was with his brother in the government. His first assignment was as governor of Vavaʻu (1949–1952), later of Haʻapai (1952–1953), and he then served as Minister of Health and Lands.[5]
Prime Minister
editIn 1965 he took over as Prime Minister of Tonga when his brother had to vacate the post on becoming king. He remained prime minister until he resigned in 1991 due to serious health problems.[1] His last years were spent in a wheelchair on a life support system.
He kept the both titles of Tuʻi Pelehake and Tuʻi Faleua for so many years, that they became synonymous with him. But after his death, only the former was conferred to his son ʻUluvalu, while the latter returned to the king.
He died on 10 April 1999 in Auckland after a long illness.[6]
Descendants
editBesides his son who inherited his positions, he also had four daughters and two sons :
- Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu;
- Princess 'Elisiva Fusipala Vaha'i;
- Prince 'Uluvalu Takeivulangi, 6th Tu‘ipelehake;
- Princess Lavinia Mata 'o Taone Ma‘afu;
- Princess Sinaitakala 'Ofeina-'e-he Langi Fakafanua;
- Fatafehi Fakafanua, 8th Lord Fakafanua, current Speaker of the Tongan Legislative Assembly;
- Princess Sinaitakala Tuku'aho, who is married to her double second cousin, Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala
- Lord Viliami Tupoulahi Mailefihi, 7th Tu'ipelehake.
- Prince Viliami Sione Ngu Takeivulai,[7] 8th Tu'ipelehake (only son of late 7th Tu'ipelehake), who has two children with his divorced wife Cassandra Vaea.
- Hon Siaosi Tupoulahi Tu'ipelehake (son)
- Hon Melenaite Tupoumoheofo Tu'ipelehake (daughter)
- Prince Viliami Sione Ngu Takeivulai,[7] 8th Tu'ipelehake (only son of late 7th Tu'ipelehake), who has two children with his divorced wife Cassandra Vaea.
Honours
editNational
edit
Tonga: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Order of Pouono[citation needed]- Tonga: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Tonga[citation needed]
- Tonga: Recipient of the Royal Tongan Medal of Merit[citation needed]
- Tonga: Recipient of the King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV Silver Jubilee Medal[citation needed]
Foreign
edit
United Kingdom: Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1977)[3]- United Kingdom: Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ a b "The Hon. Baron Vaea of Houma biography". Archived from the original on 11 November 2004. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
- ^ Newington College Register of Past Students 1863-1998 (Syd, 1999) pp201
- ^ a b c "Obituary: Prince Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake". The Independent. 14 April 1999. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
- ^ "DOUBLE WEDDING OF TONGAN PRINCES". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. XVII, no. 12. 18 July 1947. p. 13. Retrieved 18 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Prime Minister of Tonga". Canberra Times. 9 February 1978. p. 9. Retrieved 18 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Craig, Robert D. (18 December 2010). Historical Dictionary of Polynesia (3rd ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 299. ISBN 9781461659389.
- ^ "Hon Sione Ngu Tuku'aho named HSH Prince Tu'ipelehake". Kaniva Tonga News. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2023.