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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, standing 6 ft 3 in (1.91 metres) tall in her prime.


Early life

Sālote (Charlotte) was born on 13 March 1900 in Tonga as the eldest daughter and heir of King George Tupou II of Tonga and his first wife, Queen
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 ...
. She was baptized and named after her great-grandmother Sālote Mafile‘o Pilolevu (daughter of George Tupou I). She was not popular, as she was perceived as being born from the 'wrong mother' because of her mother's lower rank and was disliked so much that it was not safe for her to go outside the palace. Her mother, Queen Lavinia, died from tuberculosis on 25 April 1902. After her death, the Chiefs in Tonga urged King George Tupou II for many years to remarry to produce a male heir. On 11 November 1909, when the King finally married the 16-year-old
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' ...
, (half-sister of the rejected candidate 'Ofakivava'u', from the first search of a wife for the King), the chiefs were jubilant. Queen Anaseni gave birth twice, both girls: Princess ʻOnelua (born 20 March 1911; died of convulsions aged six months, on 19 August 1911) and Princess ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku (born 26 July 1912; died from tubercular peritonitis on 21 April 1933 aged 20).


Education

In December 1909 Sālote was sent to Auckland, New Zealand, to start five years of education.Queen Salote Tupou (1900–1965)
Tepapa.govt.nz, Retrieved 2 August 2016
She returned to Tonga every Christmas holiday. After December 1914 the King ordered her to stay home in Tonga as hopes for Queen Anaseni giving birth to a male heir were low. She later began a course of instruction in Tongan history and customs.


Personal history

In 1917, Sālote married
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 ...
, an adult noble then 30 years old, 13 years her senior. At the age of 18, she became a mother for the first time. Her children were: * Prince Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Tupoulahi (4 July 1918 – 10 September 2006), later known as ''King Tāufa‘āhau Tupou IV'', * Prince Uiliami Tuku‘aho (5 November 1919 – 28 April 1936), who died young, * Prince Sione Ngū Manumataongo (7 January 1922 – 10 April 1999), later known as 5th '' Tu'ipelehake'' (Fatafehi), *Three pregnancies ended in miscarriages. Queen Sālote died on 16 December 1965 at Auckland City Hospital, after a long illness. Her body was flown back to Tonga.


Achievements

Her marriage to Tungī Mailefihi had been a political masterstroke by her father, as Tungī was a direct descendant of the Tu‘i Ha‘atakalaua, which at that time was seen as belonging to the Tu‘i Tonga's ''kauhala‘uta''. Their children, therefore, combined the blood of the three grand royal dynasties in Tonga. In 1920–1921, she assisted the
Bernice P. Bishop Museum The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1889, it is the larg ...
's Bayard Dominick Expedition with their mapping of Tongan
archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
sites by providing access to localities and information. The expedition's reports on the Tongan past—including a large volume of material which still remains unpublished even today—were primarily compiled by Edward Winslow Gifford and provided the groundwork for comprehensive studies of the pre-contact history of the Tongans (Burley 1998). She was also a keen writer and author of dance songs and love poems, published in 2004, edited by her biographer,
Elizabeth Wood-Ellem Dr Elizabeth Wood-Ellem (10 September 1930 – 8 September 2012) was a Tongan-born Australian historian actively engaged in the life of Tonga and author of the definitive biography of Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga. Birth and family Bo ...
. Salote led Tonga through World War II, with the islands declaring war on Germany in 1940 and on Japan in 1941 following the attack on Pearl Harbor. She put Tonga's resources at the disposal of Britain and supported the Allied cause throughout the war. Tongan troops saw battle against the Japanese in the Solomon Islands campaign, including on
Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the south-western Pacific, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomon Islands by area, and the seco ...
. She brought Tonga to international attention when, during her sole visit to Europe, she attended the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London. During the coronation procession, it began to rain and hoods were placed on the carriages in the procession. As Tongan custom dictates that one should not imitate the actions of persons one is honouring, she refused a hood and rode through the pouring rain in an open carriage with Sultan Ibrahim IV of Kelantan, endearing herself to spectators. She served as Chairman of the Tonga Traditions Committee 1954–1965 and patronised the
Tonga Red Cross Society Tonga Red Cross Society (TRCS) was established in 1961 and it has its headquarters in Nukualofa. References External links Official Tonga Red Cross Society Facebook account
.


Depictions in popular culture

Trinidadian-Venezuelan musician
Edmundo Ros composed, recorded, and performed a calypso song titled "The Queen of Tonga" whose lyrics refer to Queen Salote attending the coronation of Elizabeth II.


Honours

* : Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the
Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...
* : Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian OrderArchive
/ref> * : Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire * : Honorary Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St John * : Recipient of the
King George V Silver Jubilee Medal The King George V Silver Jubilee Medal is a commemorative medal, instituted to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the accession of King George V. Issue This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir by King George V to commemorate his Silver J ...
* : Recipient of the King George VI Coronation Medal * : Recipient of the
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du couronnement de la Reine Élizabeth II) is a commemorative medal instituted to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. Award This medal was awarded a ...


Notes


References

*, (1967), ''The Friendly Islanders: a story of Queen Salote and her people,'' London: Hodder & Stoughton. * (1998): Tongan Archaeology and the Tongan Past, 2850-150 B.P. ''Journal of World Prehistory'' 12 (3): 337–392. (HTML abstract) * * (2004): ''Songs and poems of Queen Salote''. * (1954), ''Queen Salote & Her Kingdom'', London: Putnam. *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tupou 03, Salote 1900 births 1965 deaths Tongan monarchs Tongan women in politics Tongan people of World War II Queens regnant World War II political leaders Honorary Dames Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Honorary Dames Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Honorary Dames Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire Dames Grand Cross of the Order of St John Tongan Methodists People from Tongatapu Deaths in New Zealand Protestant monarchs 20th-century Tongan women 20th-century women rulers 20th-century monarchs in Oceania