ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku, known as Fusipala, (26 July 1912 – 21 April 1933) was a Princess of

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

and daughter of King

George Tupou II George Tupou II ( to, Siaosi Tupou II; 18 June 1874 – 5 April 1918) was the King of Tonga from 18 February 1893 until his death. He was officially crowned at Nukuʻalofa, on 17 March 1893. He was also the 20th Tuʻi Kanokupolu. Life Siao ...

and Queen

ʻAnaseini Takipō 'Anaseini Takipō Afuha'amango (1 March 1893 – 26 November 1918) was the Queen consort of Tonga from 1909 to 1918. She was the second wife of George Tupou II. Her name was also often rendered as Ana Seini Takipo. Life ʻAnaseini Takipō Afuha' ...

Life

Born on 26 July 1912, she was the second of two daughters born to King

and his second wife Queen

. She was named after her grandmother

ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku (18 May 1850 – September 1889) was the mother of King George Tupou II. Biography Born to Tēvita ʻUnga and his first wife Fifita Vava'u, her father was, according to newly adopted Christian law, an illegitim ...

and also her elder sister who died of convulsion shortly after her birth. Since her mother was unable to give birth to a male heir, Princess Fusipala elder half-sister from her father's first marriage would succeed their father as Queen

Sālote Tupou III Sālote Tupou III (born Sālote Mafile‘o Pilolevu; 13 March 1900 – 16 December 1965) was Queen of Tonga from 1918 to her death in 1965. She reigned for nearly 48 years, longer than any other Tongan monarch. She was well known for her height ...

in 1918. In 1918, her mother Queen Dowager Takipō died as a result of the infamous

1918 flu pandemic The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case was ...

which killed eight percent of the population of Tonga. After her mother's death, Sālote assumed the guardianship of her half-sister Princess Fusipala. In 1920, she was sent abroad to be educated at the Anglican

Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland , type = Private, Girls, Composite (Year 1–13) with boarding facilities , denomination = Anglican , established = 1903; years ago , motto_translation = That we may serve , address ...

and later continued her education at the

Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne ("For God and for Home") , established = , type = Independent, single-sex, day and boarding school , denomination = Uniting , slogan = "MLC girls become world-ready women"< ...

. She became noted as an accomplished pianist at school. Back home in Tonga, a rival court centered around her claim to the throne was set up by her maternal relatives against her sister, reviving the old rivalries between the family of Queen Sālote's mother

Lavinia Veiongo Lavinia Veiongo Fotu (9 February 1879 – 24 April 1902) was the Queen consort of Tonga from 1899 to 1902, and the first wife of George Tupou II. Life Lavinia Veiongo was born on 9 February 1879. Her father was ʻAsipeli Kupuavanua Fotu, who s ...

and the family of Fusipala's mother. Many suitors from the chiefly lines of Tonga were forwarded to enhance her rank including Haʻamea ʻUlukālala, Lala Veikune, Havea Tuʻihaʻateiho, and Semisi Kalaniuvalu. Her health deteriorated during the on-and-off engagements and coercion from her aunt Muimui. When her aunt forced her into an engagement with Haʻamea, she refused to be married, with her sister supporting her wish. A proposal was considered to marry her to George Cakobau, a chief from

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

before her death. While in Australia for a health trip, Fusipala died on 21 April 1933 from tubercular peritonitis, at the Burwood Private Hospital, in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. At her deathbed was her brother-in-law Prince

Viliami Tungī Mailefihi Viliami Tungī Mailefihi (1 November 1888 – 20 July 1941) was a Tongan high chieftain and Prince Consort of Queen Sālote Tupou III. He served as Prime Minister of Tonga from 1923 until his death in 1941. Biography Prince Tungi was the son ...

who brought her embalmed remains back to Tonga where she was buried in the royal burial grounds at Malaʻekula,

Nukuʻalofa Nukualofa (; ) is the capital and largest city of Tonga. It is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the country's southernmost island group. History First western records of Nukualofa On 10 June 1777, British captain James ...

.; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fusipala Tongan princesses Tongan royalty 1912 births 1933 deaths Deaths from peritonitis People from Nukuʻalofa 20th-century Tongan people 20th-century Tongan women