Tupou VI

Tupou VI
King of Tonga
Reign	18 March 2012 – present
Coronation	TBD
Predecessor	George Tupou V
Heir apparent	Siaosi Manumataongo
Prime Ministers	See list Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō
Prime Minister of Tonga
Reign	3 January 2000 – 11 February 2006
Predecessor	Baron Vaea
Successor	Feleti Sevele
Monarch	See list Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
Spouse	Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho
Issue
ʻAngelika Lātūfuipeka Halaʻevalu Mataʻaho Napuaʻokalani Tukuʻaho Siaosi Manumataongo Viliami ʻUnuaki-ʻo-Tonga Mumui Lalaka-Mo-e-ʻEiki Tukuʻaho
Full name
ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho
House	House of Tupou
Father	Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
Mother	Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe
Born	(1959-07-12) 12 July 1959

Tupoutoʻa-Lavaka (centre) uncombed, unshaven and in mourning dress for his recently deceased father, king Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV in 2006. He is flanked by his two sons, the new chiefs ʻUlukālala (left) and Ata (right)

Tupou VI (full name: ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho Tupou VI; born 12 July 1959) is the King of Tonga. He is the younger brother and successor of the late King George Tupou V. He was officially confirmed by his brother on 27 September 2006 as the heir presumptive to the Tongan throne, as his brother (a bachelor) had no legitimate children. He served as Tonga's High Commissioner to Australia, and resided in Canberra until the death of King George Tupou V on 18 March 2012, when ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho became King of Tonga, with the regnal name Tupou VI.

Life

He was born the third son and youngest child of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV. He was educated at The Leys School, Cambridge from 1973-77. He started his career in the military, joining the naval arm of the Tonga Defence Services in 1982 and becoming a Lieutenant-Commander in 1987. From 1990 to 1995 he commanded the Pacific-class patrol boat VOEA Pangai and his time in charge included peacekeeping operations in Bougainville.

In 1998 he ended his military career to become part of the government, first as the defence minister and the foreign minister at the same time, from October 1998 until August 2004. He took over these posts from his elder brother Tupoutoʻa, at that time still the crown prince, later to become King Siaosi Tupou V (see below). Soon he was appointed as Prime Minister on 3 January 2000, a function he kept until his sudden resignation on 11 February 2006, for which the reason has never become clear, but was probably due to the unrest in the country since mid-2005, a series of pro-democracy protests calling for a lesser role for the royal family in government. His appointed successor, Feleti Sevele, was Tonga's first prime minister who was not a hereditary estate holder or a member of the aristocracy made up of 33 noble families. In 2008 ʻAhoʻeitu was appointed Tonga's first High Commissioner to Australia, a post he held until his succession to the Tongan throne in 2012.

ʻAhoʻeitu is married to a daughter of the high chief Vaea, Nanasipauʻu and the couple have three children:

• ʻAngelika Lātūfuipeka Halaʻevalu Mataʻaho Napuaʻokalani Tukuʻaho
• Siaosi Manumataongo ʻAlaivahamamaʻo ʻAhoʻeitu Konstantin Tukuʻaho
• Viliami ʻUnuaki-ʻo-Tonga Mumui Lalaka-Mo-e-ʻEiki Tukuʻaho

In January 2012, Prince Siaosi, known as Prince ‘Ulukalala, announced his engagement to the Sinaitakala Fakafanua.

Name and titles

Monarchical styles of King Tupou VI of Tonga
Reference style	His Majesty ko ʻene ʻafio
Spoken style	Your Majesty ko hoʻo ʻafio
Alternative style	Sir

It is customary in Tongan culture that princes get a traditional chiefly title, by which they then are commonly known (and no longer by their baptised name). As such for many years, until his confirmation as heir presumptive, ʻAhoʻeitu was known by either one or all three of the titles which were bestowed on him over the time: Lavaka from Pea, Ata from Kolovai and ʻAtatā, and ʻUlukālala from Vavaʻu. These titles may be used in any order, (the one belonging to the area from which the speaker is coming usually first). Nevertheless the sequences Lavaka Ata ʻUlukālala and ʻUlukālala Lavaka Ata were most common.

Since his confirmation as heir presumptive, he got the traditional title of Tupoutoʻa, reserved for crown princes, which his older brother (the second) had to give up because he married a commoner, while two of his previous titles went to his sons. As such he was until his accession to the throne known as Tupoutoʻa Lavaka. His oldest son, Siaosi, (George) is to be addressed by the prestigious title of ʻUlukālala, while his second son, Viliami, (William) was bestowed with Ata.

See also

• Line of succession to the Tongan Throne
• List of national leaders

External links

• Prince Ulukalala Lavaka Ata at the Internet Movie Database
• Government Biography

Tupou VI House of Tupou Born: 12 July 1959
Political offices
Preceded by Baron Vaea	Prime Minister of Tonga 2000–2006	Succeeded by Feleti Sevele
Diplomatic posts
First	Tongan High Commissioner to Australia 2008–2012	Vacant
Regnal titles
Preceded by George Tupou V	King of Tonga 2012–present	Incumbent Heir apparent: Siaosi Manumataongo