Pōmare IV, Queen of Tahiti (February 28, 1813 – September 17, 1877), more properly ʻAimata Pōmare IV Vahine-o-Punuateraʻitua (otherwise known as ʻAimata {meaning: eye-eater, after an old custom of the ruler to eat the eye of the defeated foe} or simply as Pōmare IV), was the queen of Tahiti between 1827 and 1877. She was the fourth monarch of the Kingdom of Tahiti.
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She was the daughter of Pōmare II. She succeeded as ruler of Tahiti after the death of her brother Pōmare III when she was only 14 years old. She succeeded in briefly reuniting Raʻiatea and Porapora (Borabora) with the kingdom of Tahiti, later their independence were reestablished with her childrens as rulers. She fought in vain against French intervention, writing to the King of France and exiling herself to Raiatea in protest. She eventually relented and ruled under the French administration from 1843 until 1877. Pōmare IV is buried in the Royal Mausoleum, Papaʻoa, ʻArue. She was succeeded by Pōmare V, who reigned 1877-1880.
The Tuamotu archipelago was never annexed by France. They merely occupied it without making a proclamation of "sovereignty" and so it legally remains the rightful property of the Pōmare dynasty, and whosoever is the living heir. However, the French did proclaim their inherent, "rightful" control over the island of Tahiti and most of the Dynasty's other lands.
Due to the French not having ever properly annexed the Tuamotu archipelago, they have no de jure jurisdiction over the islands and could not abolish the monarchy there, so it remains in existence to this day. France is, of course, the de facto authority over the Tuamotu.
Similar such cases can be found throughout the world and the Pacific. New Zealand in particular has serious discrepancies that imply that the indigenous people of most regions were never legally annexed, and that due to treaty violations (which the Crown has admitted to), there may well be no licit claim to sovereignty to anything else. The common denominator is that the places involved were fairly remote, the means for colonization barely licit, and the officers involved very exhausted at the time of writing their proclamations.
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| Preceded by Pōmare III |
Queen of Tahiti 1827–1877 |
Succeeded by Pōmare V |
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