Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake

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Prince Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake of Tonga
11th Prime Minister of Tonga
In office16 December 1965 – 22 August 1991
MonarchTāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
PredecessorCrown Prince Tāufaʻāhau
SuccessorBaron Siaosi Vaea
Born(1922-01-07)7 January 1922
Royal Palace, Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Died10 April 1999(1999-04-10) (aged 77)
Auckland, New Zealand
Burial
Mala‘e Kula
SpousePrincess Melenaite Tupoumoheofo Veikune
IssuePrincess Mele Siu’ilikutapu
Princess 'Elisiva Fusipala Vaha'i
Prince ʻUluvalu Takeivulangi
Princess Lavinia Mata-ʻo-Tāone
Princess Sinaitakala 'Ofeina 'e he Langi
Prince Viliami Tupoulahi Mailefihi
HouseTupou
FatherViliami Tungī Mailefihi
MotherSālote Tupou III
ReligionMethodism

Prince Fatafehi Tuʻipelehake (Sione Ngū Manumataongo; 7 January 1922 – 10 April 1999)[1] was the youngest son of Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga. He was the prime minister of Tonga from 1965 to 1991, a record term of over 25 years, serving under his brother King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV.

Early life[edit]

Tuʻi Pelehake attended Newington College, Sydney, (1941–1942)[2] and Gatton Agricultural College, Queensland, Australia.[3] 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.[4] That was the famous double royal wedding (taʻane māhanga) of 10 June 1947. He received the title Tuʻi Pelehake (Fatafehi) from his mother (Queen Salote) in 1944, and he also received the runner up highest title of Tonga of Tuʻi Faleua (king of the second house).

From a non-traditional side, he was conferred an honorary CBE in 1966.[3] He inherited from his mother an artistic side; he was a well-known poet and composer.

Politics[edit]

His career was with his brother in the government. His first assignment was as governor of Vavaʻu (1949–1952), later of Haʻapai (1952–1953), and he then served as Minister of Health and Lands.[5]

Prime Minister[edit]

In 1965 he took over as Prime Minister of Tonga when his brother had to vacate the post on becoming king. He remained in this post until he had to withdraw in 1991 because of serious health problems.[1] His last years were spent in a wheelchair 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 ʻUluvalu, while the latter returned to the king.

He died on 10 April 1999 in Auckland after a long illness.[6]

Descendants[edit]

Besides his son who inherited his positions, he also had four daughters and two sons :

Honours[edit]

National[edit]

Foreign[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "The Hon. Baron Vaea of Houma biography". Archived from the original on 11 November 2004. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  2. ^ Newington College Register of Past Students 1863-1998 (Syd, 1999) pp201
  3. ^ a b c "Obituary: Prince Fatafehi Tu'ipelehake". The Independent. 14 April 1999. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  4. ^ "DOUBLE WEDDING OF TONGAN PRINCES". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. XVII, no. 12. 18 July 1947. p. 13. Retrieved 18 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Prime Minister of Tonga". Canberra Times. 9 February 1978. p. 9. Retrieved 18 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ Craig, Robert D. (18 December 2010). Historical Dictionary of Polynesia (3rd ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 299. ISBN 9781461659389.
  7. ^ "Hon Sione Ngu Tuku'aho named HSH Prince Tu'ipelehake". Kaniva Tonga News. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
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