The Tuʻipelehake (or Tuʻi Pelehake to be more consistent with similar titles, like
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 dea ...
,
Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua
The Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua is a dynasty of Tongan kings which originated in the 15th century and assumed political power from the Tuʻi Tonga line. In the 18th century, it merged power with the Tuʻi Kanokupolu dynasty, and became existent only es ...
and Tuʻi Kanokupolu) is one of the highest ranking chiefly titles in
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ...
. In the absence of the ancient Tuʻi Faleua title, the Tuʻipelehake title is a high title due to, Tuʻi Kanokupolu. There have been several holders of the title mainly from the ruling royal family, from princes to prime ministers. It is Tongan custom to refer to the holder by his customary title, only adding his given name if confusion may arise. For example, Tuʻi Pelehake (ʻUluvalu).
The Estates of the Tuʻi Pelehake are:
* Fatai a town estate in
Nukuʻalofa
Nukualofa ( , ) is the Capital city, 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 ...
on
Tongatapu
Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and the site of its capital, Nukuʻalofa, Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% o ...
* Village of Pelehake in the eastern district on
Tongatapu
Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and the site of its capital, Nukuʻalofa, Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% o ...
* Village of ʻAlakifonua in the eastern district on
Tongatapu
Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga and the site of its capital, Nukuʻalofa, Nukualofa. It is located in Tonga's southern island group, to which it gives its name, and is the country's most populous island, with 74,611 residents (2016), 70.5% o ...
* Tonga's main airport,
Fuaʻamotu International Airport, is also situated on his estate and not, as the name misleadingly suggests, in neighbouring
Fuaʻamotu.
* Village of Vaihoi in
Vavaʻu
Vavau is an island group, consisting of one large island (ʻUtu Vavaʻu) and 40 smaller ones, in Tonga. It is part of Administrative divisions of Tonga, Vavaʻu District, which includes several other individual islands. According to tradition, ...
, close to the villages of Leimatuʻa and Holonga
* Village of Foa in
Haʻapai
Haʻapai is a group of islands, islets, reefs, and shoals in the central part of Tonga. It has a combined land area of . The Tongatapu island group lies to its south, and the Vavaʻu group lies to its north. Seventeen of the Haʻapai islands are ...
Origin
All of the noble titles of Tonga were formalised into their current states through royal decree under the Constitution of 1875. This hierarchy of titles were instituted by King George
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou I in 19th century. The Tuʻi Pelehake was one of the six most ancient titles of Tonga. The fact that these six titles were held by some of the most powerful chiefs of the day, ultimately saved from extinction. While, on the other hand, Tupou I allowed hundreds of other titles-of-nobility to fall into abeyance. The Tuʻi Pelehake title goes back to the first Tuʻi Tonga,
ʻAhoʻeitu, in the 10th century. His oldest brother, Talafale, was bestowed the titles Tuʻi Pelehake and Tuʻi Faleua, backup titles in case the Tuʻi Tonga line would die out. Note that the original Tuʻi Pelehake title therefore derives its authority from the Tuʻi Tonga, even though it came to
King George Tupou II, it has been essentially linked to 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 seni ...
.
Holders of the noble title
Lekaumoana
Lekaumoana's oldest son Maile Latamai was banished to Fiji, his younger son Uluvalu became the next Tuiʻpelehake.
ʻUluvalu
He was the son of Lekaumoana.
Filiaipulotu
He was the son of ʻUluvalu. He married Sālote Pilolevu, the daughter of
George Tupou I
George Tupou I (4 December 1797 – 18 February 1893), originally known as Tāufaʻāhau I, was the first List of monarchs of Tonga, king of modern Tonga. He adopted the name Siaosi (originally Jiaoji), the Tongan language, Tongan equivalent o ...
.
Toutaitokotaha
Siaosi Fatafehi Toutaitokotaha, 1842–1912.
He was the son of Filiaipulotu and the father of King
George Tupou II
George 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
Siaosi (George) Tupou II ...
.
He was Prime Minister of Tonga in 1905. After his death the title remained vacant as the king had no need for it. Neither was there any need for the title during the reign of his successor, Queen
Sālote Tupou III
Sālote Tupou III (born Sālote Mafileo Pilolevu; 13 March 1900 – 16 December 1965) was Queen of Tonga from 1918 to her death in 1965. She reigned for nearly 48 years, the longest of any Tongan monarch. She was well known for her height, stan ...
.
Fatafehi Tuʻi Faleua
Sione Ngū Manumataongo (7 January 1922 – 10 April 1999), was the youngest son of Queen Sālote Tupou III and The Prince Consort, ʻUiliami Mailefihi Tungi. Prince Sione was educated in Tonga and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. He attended
Newington College
Newington College is a multi-campus Independent school, independent Uniting Church in Australia, Uniting Church Single-sex education, single-sex and Mixed-sex education, co-educational Pre-school education, early learning, Primary school, primar ...
,
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, (1941–1942)
[Newington College Register of Past Students 1863-1998 (Syd, 1999) pp201] and an agricultural college in
Queensland
Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...
. Fatafehi married Melenaite Tupoumoheofo Veikune (13 November 1924 – 16 March 1993) on the same day as his older brother, the Crown Prince (in that time still called
Tupoutoʻa-Tungī) married Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe. That was the famous double royal wedding (''taʻane māhanga'') of 10 June 1947. He received the titles of Tuʻi Pelehake and Fatafehi from his mother in 1944. He also received Tonga's second highest title-of-nobility, Tuʻi Faleua (King of the Second House) during this time. Prince John was also honoured with the
CBE or Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The Prince inherited from his mother an artistic side; he was a well-known poet and composer.
He began a career in government service, alongside his elder brother, the Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa-Tungi. Prince Sione's first appointment was as the Governor of Vavaʻu i (1949–1952) and later as Governor of Haʻapai (1952–1953). He held various ministerial portfolios in cabinet, until he took over as prime minister in 1965. His brother had just vacated the Office of Prime Minister on becoming King. Prince Tuʻipelehake remained Tonga's Prime Minister until 1991 until he was forced to withdraw therefrom because of serious health problems. His last years were spent in a rollchair and 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, while the latter returned to the king.
ʻUluvalu
Sione ʻUluvalu Takeivūlai Ngū Tukuʻaho (7 October 1950 – 6 July 2006) held the title of Tuʻi Pelehake from the death of his father in 1991 until his own death in 2006. Prince ʻUluvalu died in an automobile accident near
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, California on 6 July 2006. He played a key role in mediating between the Government of Tonga and striking civil servants in 2005. At the time of his death he was in the US for consultations with Tongans living there concerning political and constitutional reforms. This programme of reforms was to have been presented to his uncle, King Taufaʻahau Tupou IV
to present ideas for political reform to his uncle, the king. Prince ʻUluvalu and his wife, Princess Kaimana, died without children.
They were buried at
langi Nāmoala in
Muʻa on 21 July, apparently as a reminder of the title's Tuʻi Tonga heritage, and not at
Malaʻekula in
Nukuʻalofa
Nukualofa ( , ) is the Capital city, 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 ...
where all kings find their rest.
Mailefihi
When a title holder dies without heir, the title returns to the king, who then will decide what to do with it. In this case he decided to give it, on 21 July 2006, to ʻUluvalu's younger brother,
Viliami Tupoulahi Mailefihi Tukuʻaho (17 June 1957 – 2014)
known as Mailefihi. Mailefihi lost his right to the title 'Prince' and inherited claim to the royal throne with his first marriage to Mele Vikatolia Faletau, step daughter and adopted daughter of Hon. Akauola Inoke Faletau and birth daughter of Mrs. Evelini Hurrell - Akauaola. Mele Vikatolia is an issue from then the previous relationship of her biological mother, Evelini Hurrell during bachelorette. This marriage was against the wishes of his uncle King
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV (Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Tupoulahi; 4 July 1918 – 10 September 2006) was List of monarchs of Tonga, King of Tonga from 1965 until his death in 2006. He was the tallest and heaviest Tongan monarch, weighing and measuring . ...
. From this first marriage he had two children a daughter and a son;
#Hon. Taone Tukuʻaho
#Hon. Ngū Tukuʻaho
To the dismay of the royal family his next two marriages were to particularly commers women. His second marriage in 1996 was to Maʻata Moʻungaloa, a beauty queen who won the yearly Miss Heilala beauty pageant. His third marriage was to ʻAlakifonua villager ʻEneʻio Tatafu styled HSH Princess Tuipelehake in 2008, whom he divorced in 2010. They had one adopted daughter:
Hon. Anaseini Takipo Michelle Alexdra Tukuʻaho
The His fourth and current wife is Fifita Holeva Tuʻihaʻangana, a member of one of the low noble families in Tonga from Haano, a tiny island in the Haapai group. Fifita Holeva have three issues from previous relationships.
Mailefihi returned to great prominence upon the death of his older brother ʻUluvalu in July 2006. Shortly after his brother's death he was bestowed the Tuʻipelehake title by his uncle King
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV (Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Tupoulahi; 4 July 1918 – 10 September 2006) was List of monarchs of Tonga, King of Tonga from 1965 until his death in 2006. He was the tallest and heaviest Tongan monarch, weighing and measuring . ...
. In August of the same year via a by-election he won his brother's vacated seat in Parliament. In 2008 his 'Prince' title was restored back to him by his first cousin King
George Tupou V
George Tupou V (Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Manumataongo Tukuʻaho Tupou; 4 May 194818 March 2012) was King of Tonga from 2006 until his death in 2012. He was the eldest son of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV.
After ascending the throne, George Tupou ann ...
and is known as His Serene Highness Prince Tuʻipelehake. In 2009 he became a Minister of the Realm when he was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. He died of complications from diabetes in June 2014.
Mailefihi died on Saturday 14 June 2014 at Vaiola Hospital in Tonga. It is understood Prince Tuipelehake was admitted to Vaiola Hospital on 2 June with complications from diabetes. Mailefihi had been a diabetes patient for a number of years, and had previously undergone amputation of both legs. He was 56.
Viliami Sione Ngu Takeivulai
On 8 July 2014, Hon. Viliami Sione Ngu Takeivulai Tukuʻaho (born 5 January 1986) was installed as His Serene Highness Prince Tuʻipelehake. He replaces his late father Prince Tuʻipelehake - Mailefihi, who died a month before on 14 June 2014. He was known as Sione Ngu who became 8th in line for the Tuʻipelehake title and he was installed at the Falelotu Fotu ʻa e ʻEiki in Pelehake. He is a military officer (Lieutenant) at His Majesty's Armed Forces (formerly as Tonga Defense Services). He was married to Cassandra Tuʻipelehake (formerly known as Hon. Cassandra Vaea Tukuʻaho. Cassandra was adopted by the Late Baron Vaea of Houma and his wife, Baroness Tuputupu Maʻafu-Vaea which is the parents of HM The Queen of Tonga. Cassandra is the daughter of Lord Vaea - formerly known as Hon. ʻAlipate Tuʻivanuavou Vaea, HM The Queen of Tonga's only brother. Cassandra is the natural granddaughter of Baron & Baroness Vaea. Cassandra, an issue of a previous relationship of then, Hon. Alipate Tuʻivanuavou Vaea when he was a bachelor by a commoner with High Chief ancestors bloodlines. His Serene Highness, Prince Tuʻipelehake married on 19 July 2008 at Polataʻane, and they have two children a son and a daughter; however were later divorced. Cassandra later became a Dame.
Dame Cassandra Vaea with her investiture ceremony to the Dame of Grace on 29 Nov 2022 of the Ancient and Most Noble Order of St Lazarus at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, Roseneath, Wellington, New Zealand. Dame Cassandra Vaea is the Representative of the Order St Lazarus of Jerusalem to the Kingdom of Tonga.
# Hon. Siaosi Tupoulahi Tukuaho
# Hon. Melenaite Tupoumoheofo Tukuaho
References
Bibliography
*
Elizabeth Wood-Ellem, ''Queen Sālote of Tonga'', Auckland University Press, 1999, and several other books
* ''Tonga Chronicle'', 3 August 2006
External links
"TUʻI PELEHAKE (Title)" Non-European Royalty website
"Mailefihi becomes 7th Tuʻipelehake,"Matangi, Tonga Online, Tonga News: Royalty & Nobility, 1 August 2006.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tuipelehake
Tongan chiefs
History of Tonga