Lavinia Veiongo Fotu (9 February 1879 – 24 April 1902) was the Queen consort 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 ...

from 1899 to 1902, and the first wife of

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 ...

Life

Lavinia Veiongo was born on 9 February 1879. Her father was ʻAsipeli Kupuavanua Fotu, who served as Minister of Police, and her mother was Tōkanga Fuifuilupe. She was a namesake of her paternal grandmother, Old Lavinia, who was the daughter of the last

Tuʻi Tonga The Tuʻi Tonga is a line of Tongan kings, which originated in the tenth century with the mythical ʻAhoʻeitu, and withdrew from political power in the fifteenth century by yielding to the ''Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua''. The title ended with the death ...

Laufilitonga Fatafehi Laufilitonga (24 August 1797 – 9 December 1865) was the 39th and last Tui Tonga, a dynasty of kings in Tonga during the Tui Tonga Empire. Biography Only little is known about Laufilitonga's life. Laufilitonga was the oldest son ...

and considered one of the highest ranking women in Tonga. King

was expected to marry Princess ʻOfakivavaʻu, of the

Tuʻi Kanokupolu (chiefs) are a junior rank of the (king's lineage) in Tonga. Terminology The are described as . means 'side of the road' and means 'lower'. Thus, is the lower side of the road. The term differentiates the from the who are the most sen ...

line. However, the King changed his mind at the last minute and chose Lavinia instead. He asked the Council of Chiefs to choose between the two women, but when the majority voiced support for ʻOfa, he threatened to remain a bachelor unless he was allowed to marry Lavinia. The chiefs acquiesced and allowed the marriage to go through. The royal marriage took place on 1 June 1899 with Tongan and European guests in attendance. During the ceremony the King placed a golden crown on Lavinia's head and proclaimed her as Queen of Tonga. Despite this, relation between the King and the rest of the country remained strained because of the rejection of ʻOfa. Supporters of both women rioted in the streets of the capital of

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 ...

, attacking each other with axes, clubs, and broken bottles. In 1900, Lavinia gave birth to their only child Princess Sālote Mafile‘o Pilolevu, who would succeed her 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 ...

. Despite the infighting between their respective supporters, Lavinia and the Princess 'Ofa became close friends. Princess 'Ofa died in December 1901 from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

. Lavinia had visited her friend at her final illness and also attended her funeral and subsequently contracted the disease. She died on 24 April 1902 at the

Royal Palace This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- Massa ...

. After lying in state and a royal funeral, her remains were buried at the royal burial grounds of Malaʻekula. King Tupou II greatly mourned the passing of his wife and erected a marble monument to her honor on the burial site.

Family tree

References

Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lavinia Veiongo 1879 births 1902 deaths Tongan royal consorts 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis 20th-century Tongan women 19th-century Tongan women Tuberculosis deaths in Tonga