Lavaka Ata 'Ulukalala

Tupou VI (ʻAho‘eitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho; born 12 July 1959) is King of Tonga.

The youngest child of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, he served as Prime Minister of Tonga from 2000 to 2006. Following his elder brother's accession to the Tongan throne as George Tupou V, he was officially confirmed as the heir presumptive on 27 September 2006, because his brother had no legitimate children. In 2008, he was appointed Tonga's High Commissioner to Australia, and resided in Canberra until the death of George Tupou V on 18 March 2012, when he became King of Tonga, with the regnal name Tupou VI. He was crowned in 2015 by the Reverend D'Arcy Wood.

Early life and education

ʻAhoʻeitu was born in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga on 12 July 1959, as the third son and youngest child of Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa Tungī (later King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV) and Crown Princess Halaevalu Mataʻaho (later Queen Halaevalu Mataʻaho). He attended The Leys School in Cambridge from 1973 to 1977, followed by enrolment at the University of East Anglia, where he studied Development Studies between 1977 and 1980.

Military career

ʻAhoʻeitu joined the naval arm of the Tonga Defence Services in 1982, achieving the rank of Lieutenant-Commander by 1987. He graduated from the US Naval War College as part of Class 33 in 1988.

His military service included commanding the Pacific-class patrol boat VOEA ''Pangai'' from 1990 to 1995, during which he participated in peacekeeping operations in Bougainville. Then, he obtained a master's degree in defence studies from the University of New South Wales in 1997 and another master's degree in international relations from Bond University in 1999.

Governmental career

In 1998, ʻAhoʻeitu transitioned from his military career to government service, assuming dual roles as defence minister and foreign minister until August 2004. These roles were previously held by his elder brother Tupoutoʻa, who was then the crown prince and later became King Siaosi Tupou V.

Prime Minister of Tonga

ʻAhoʻeitu, then known as Prince ʻUlukālala Lavaka Ata, assumed the role of prime minister on 3 January 2000.

In 2004, several Members of Parliament (MPs) advocated for his resignation as prime minister following their decision to boycott the inauguration of the Tonga Legislative Assembly. Among the MPs was Feleti Sevele, who cited the closure of Royal Tongan Airlines as one of several adverse events associated with the prime minister's tenure. Sevele questioned the prime minister's ability to govern Tonga, asserting that an inability to manage an airline raised doubts about his capacity to govern the country effectively.

ʻAhoʻeitu resigned as prime minister on 11 February 2006. His departure coincided with a period of heightened civil unrest, as pro-democracy protests advocating for a reduced governmental role of the royal family gained traction from mid-2005 onward. The Nukuʻalofa riots later that year underscored a growing dissatisfaction with the existing political structure, calls for increased political representation and a more equal distribution of power.

Diplomatic career

ʻAhoʻeitu took on the position of the chief of mission for Tonga's High Commission in Canberra when it was inaugurated in 2008, a position he held until his succession to the Tongan throne in 2012. This move represented a notable development in Tonga's diplomatic relations with Australia, highlighting the establishment of a formal diplomatic presence.

Concurrently, he served as a non-resident Ambassador to Japan from 15 January 2010 until his accession in 2012.

Reign

ʻAhoʻeitu became the King of Tonga on the death of his elder brother, George Tupou V, on 18 March 2012. In his capacity as Tonga's head of state, he was installed as 20th Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific (USP) for a term of one year during the USP Tonga Graduation ceremony in July 2013.

Coronation

King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u were crowned in a ceremony conducted at Centenary Church in Nukuʻalofa on 4 July 2015 by the Reverend D'Arcy Wood, a retired Uniting Church in Australia minister who was born in Tonga. He was assisted by the Reverend 'Ahio and the Reverend Tevita Havea, the president and the secretary general of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga. About 15,000 guests attended the celebration.

During the ceremony, Tupou VI was anointed with holy oil, adorned with a ring, and presented with a sceptre. The crown was then placed on his head by Wood, who performed the anointing and crowning as a matter of circumventing the taboo on native Tongans touching the King's head. The celebrations ran for a total of eleven days, beginning a week before the ceremony.

Dismissal of government

On 25 August 2017, Tupou VI dismissed Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pōhiva, dissolved the Legislative Assembly, and ordered early elections to be held by mid-November. Following the king's dissolution of the government, the speaker, Lord Tuʻivakanō, issued a statement explaining his advice to the King that led him to dismiss the Prime Minister. Lord Tuʻivakanō stated that Pōhiva had made unconstitutional moves, including signing international agreements without the King's consent. Pōhiva was reelected soon after in November.

Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption and tsunami

On 15 January 2022, the King was temporarily relocated from the Royal Palace following the eruption of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai and the ensuing tsunami. After this, he called for unity and vowed to rebuild.

Loss of confidence in ministers

On 2 February 2024, Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni was absent from Tonga, receiving medical treatment in New Zealand. During this time, King Tupou VI purportedly revoked the appointment of Siaosi Sovaleni as the armed forces minister and Fekitamoeloa ʻUtoikamanu as the minister of foreign affairs and tourism, with the nine noble MPs urging them to resign from their ministerial positions. The Attorney General of Tonga, Linda Folaumoetu'i, advised the Cabinet that the King's action was unconstitutional.

In response to the revocation of their appointments, Sovaleni and ʻUtoikamanu publicly announced their resignation from their respective ministerial positions in April 2024.

Marriage and family

ʻAhoʻeitu is married to Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, daughter of Baron Vaea. They have three children and four grandchildren. Their eldest child, Princess Lātūfuipeka Tukuʻaho (Angelika Lātūfuipeka Halaevalu Mataʻaho Napua-o-kalani Tukuʻaho), born on 17 November 1983, has been the High Commissioner to Australia since 22 August 2012.

Their second child, Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala (Siaosi Manumataongo ʻAlaivahamamaʻo ʻAhoʻeitu Konstantin Tukuʻaho), born on 17 September 1985, married his second cousin, Sinaitakala Fakafanua, on 12 July 2012. They have four children: Prince Taufaʻahau Manumataongo (born 10 May 2013), Princess Halaevalu Mataʻaho (born 12 July 2015), Princess Nanasipauʻu (born 20 March 2018), and Princess Salote Mafile’o Pilolevu (born 25 February 2021).

Their third child is Prince Ata (Viliami ʻUnuaki-ʻo-Tonga Mumui Lalaka-Mo-e-ʻEiki Tukuʻaho), born on 27 April 1988.

Upon his confirmation as heir presumptive, he acquired the noble title of Tupoutoʻa, traditionally reserved for crown princes, a position his older brother relinquished due to marrying a commoner, and was subsequently known as Tupoutoʻa Lavaka before ascending the throne. His other noble titles of ʻUlukālala of Fangatongo and ʻAta of Hihifo subsequently passed to each of his two sons.

Family tree

See also

* Tonga
* Succession to the Tongan throne
* List of current heads of state and government

Footnotes

References

External links

*

Government Biography

, -

, -

, -

, -

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tupou 06
1959 births
Living people
Alumni of the University of East Anglia
Bond University alumni
Government ministers of Tonga
High commissioners of Tonga to Australia
Ambassadors of Tonga to Japan
People educated at The Leys School
Prime ministers of Tonga
Monarchs of Tonga
University of New South Wales alumni
People from Nukuʻalofa
Ministers of foreign affairs of Tonga
Children of prime ministers of Tonga
Tongan military personnel
21st-century monarchs in Oceania
Protestant monarchs