Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala

Siaosi (George) Manumataongo ʻAlaivahamamaʻo ʻAhoʻeitu Konstantin Tukuʻaho[1] (born 17 September 1985) is the crown prince of Tonga. Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala became heir apparent to the throne in March 2012 upon the accession of his father, Tupou VI, as King of Tonga.[2]

Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala
Crown Prince of Tonga
Tupoutoʻa at the final day of the festivities of his parents coronation
Born (1985-09-17) 17 September 1985
Nukuʻalofa, Tonga
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2012)​
IssuePrince Taufaʻahau Manumataongo
Princess Halaevalu Mataʻaho
Princess Nanasipauʻu Eliana
Full name
Siaosi Manumataongo ʻAlaivahamamaʻo ʻAhoʻeitu Konstantin Tukuʻaho
HouseTupou
FatherTupou VI
MotherNanasipau'u
ReligionMethodism
Tongan royal family
The King
The Queen
Extended family

2012 wedding
Main article: Wedding of Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala and Sinaitakala Fakafanua

On 12 July 2012, Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala married his double second cousin, Sinaitakala Fakafanua, in a wedding attended by 2,000 people.[2][3] He was 26 years old at the time, while his wife was 25 years old.[3] Sinaitakala Fakafanua is 26th in line to the Tongan throne.[3]

The wedding marked the first marriage of a Tongan crown prince in sixty-five years.[3] The ceremony was held at the Centennial Church of the Free Church of Tonga in Nuku'alofa, with more than 2,000 guests, including Samoan and Fijian chiefly families.[1][2] The groom wore morning dress, while the bride wore a long sleeve, lace wedding gown with a veil that reached the floor of the church.[4] A Maʻutohi ceremony, which celebrates the issuance of a marriage license, was held earlier in the week.[2]

Controversy

The marriage between the Crown Prince and Fakafanua caused controversy over the continued practice of marrying closely related cousins.[3][4] Tongan royal protocol requires that members of royal family only marry members of noble families to maintain a 'strong' bloodline.[3] All royal marriages are arranged.[1]

The wedding between the cousins was openly criticised by a few members of Tongan political and royal circles.[4] Two prominent members of the Tongan royal family, Queen Mother Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe and the king's sister, Princess Salote Pilolevu Tuita, disapproved of the marriage and refused to attend the ceremony.[1] Daughter of the Princess Royal of Tonga, Frederica Tuita, who is ninth in line to the throne, openly condemned the union, calling the royal arranged marriage "extremely arrogant and only perpetuated the motive behind social climbers".[3] Pro-democracy leader ʻAkilisi Pohiva also criticised the wedding, telling TVNZ, "They are too close... I do not know about biological effects of two close bloods mixed together, but I think they need new blood from outside."[3] A leader of Tongans living in New Zealand, Will Ilolahia, stated that many Tongans opposed the second cousins' marriage, but were unwilling to speak out publicly.[3][5]

An uncle of the Crown Prince, Lord Vaea, defended the marriage saying, "It's a new beginning for the royal household. They are both in their twenties, we are looking at that to preserve that constitutional monarchy within Tonga."[1]

Issue

His firstborn child, a son, Prince Taufaʻahau Manumataongo, was born on 10 May 2013 at Auckland City Hospital in Auckland, becoming second in the line of succession to the Tongan throne, after his father.[6] On 12 July 2014, the Crown Princess gave birth to a daughter, Princess Halaevalu Mataʻaho at Auckland City Hospital in Auckland.[7] His third child and second daughter, Princess Nanasipauʻu Eliana, was born on 20 March 2018 at the Auckland City Hospital in New Zealand.[8]

Titles, styles and honours

Titles
  • 17 September 1985 – 18 March 2012: His Royal Highness Prince Siaosi of Tonga
  • 18 March 2012 – present: His Royal Highness Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa of Tonga

Honours

Dynastic

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 November 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Tonga Crown Prince weds". Radio New Zealand International. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  3. "Tongan crown prince marries second cousin". The Daily Telegraph. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  4. "Royal wedding causes royal divisions". One News. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  5. "Opposition to Tongan royal cousins marriage". Radio Australia. 11 July 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  6. "New Tongan heir, Prince Taufa'ahau Manumataongo born May 10 in Auckland", Matangi Tonga, 10 May 2013
  7. "Tonga's New Princess: Halaevalu Mata'aho", Matangi Tonga, 14 July 2014
  8. New Princess born – HRH Princess Nanasipau’u, Matangi Tonga, 21 March 2018
  9. "Photographic image" (JPG). Matangitonga.to. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  10. "Photographic image" (JPG). Newsimg.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  11. "Photographic image" (JPG). Matangitonga.to. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  12. "Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Tonga honoured by Constantinian Order at London Ceremony - Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George". Constantinian.org.uk. 28 July 2012. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  13. "Crown Prince & Princess invested in Order of Francis I". Mic.gov.to. Retrieved 11 June 2018.

Media related to Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala at Wikimedia Commons

Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala
House of Tupou
Born: 17 September 1985
Lines of succession
First
 Line of succession to the Tongan throne
1st position		 Succeeded by
Taufaʻahau Manumataongo
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