The Tuʻipelehake (or Tuʻi Pelehake to be more consistent with similar titles, like Tuʻi Tonga, Tuʻi Haʻatakalaua, etc.) is the 2nd highest ranking traditional chiefly title in Tonga, in the absence of the Tuʻi Faleua title, Tuʻipelehake is second only to the King in rank. There have been several holders of the title for years and years 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 personal name if confusion may arise. An example of this would be: Tuʻi Pelehake (ʻUluvalu).
The Estates of the Tuʻi Pelehake are:
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All the Noble Titles in Tonga were established and formalized into its current state via a royal decree in accordance to the newly established constitution instituted by King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou I in 1875. Though the Tuʻi Pelehake was one of the six most ancient titles of Tonga, a Title from its very inception. Lekaumoana in the list below was the first holder of the new title as recorded per the aforementioned proclamation of the new constitution. The fact that they were held by the most powerful chiefs of that time has saved them. Hundreds of minor titles were abolished and have disappeared since.
The Tuʻi Pelehake title goes back to the first Tuʻi Tonga, ʻAhoʻeitu, the youngest son of Tangaloa ʻEitumātupuʻa. His oldest brother, Talafale, fell out of grace and was bestowed the titles Tuʻi Pelehake and also Tuʻi Faleua, a backup 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, since it came to George Tupou II, is has been essentially linked to the Tuʻi Kanokupolu.
Lekaumoana's oldest son Maile Latamai was banished to Fiji, his younger son ULUVALU became the next Tui'pelehake.
He was the son of Lekaumoana
He was the son of ʻUluvalu
Siaosi Fatafehi Toutaitokotaha, 1842 — 1912. He was the son of Filiaipulotu and the father of King George Tupou II. He was Prime Minister of Tonga in 1905. After his death the title remained vacant as the king had not really need for it, nor had his successor Sālote Tupou III.
Sione Ngū Manumataongo Tukuʻaho (7 January 1922 — 10 April 1999), was the youngest son of Sālote Tupou III and was educated in Tonga and Australia. He attended Newington College, Sydney, (1941–1942) [1] and an agricultural college in Queensland. 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 title Tuʻi Pelehake (Fatafehi) from his mother 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 honoured with the CBE. He inherited from his mother an artistic side; he was a well known poet and composer.
His career was with his brother in the government. He was first governor of Vavaʻu (1949–1952), later of Haʻapai (1952–1953), next he held various ministerial portfolios in cabinet, until he took over as Prime Minister when his brother had to vacate the post on becoming king in 1965. He remained in this post until he had to withdraw in 1991 because of serious health problems. His last years were spent in a rollchair 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.
Sione ʻUluvalu Takeivūlai Ngū Tukuʻaho (7 October 1950 — 6 July 2006 (5 July in USA)) was Tuʻi Pelehake from the death of his father until his own death in a car accident near San Francisco, California. 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 USA for consultations with Tongans living there 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 where all kings find their rest.
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 — ) 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, which was against the wishes of his uncle King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV. From this first marriage he had two children a daughter and a son;
To the dismay of the royal family his next two marriages were to particularly low rank common 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 'Alakifonua villager ʻEneʻio Tatafu whom he divorced in 2009. His fourth and current wife is Fifita Holeva Tuʻihaʻangana, a member of one of the most prominent noble families in Tonga.
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 late uncle King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV. In August of the same year via a bi-election he won his brother's vacated seat in Parliament. In 2008 his 'Prince' title was restored back to him by his first cousin the current King George Tupou V and is now known as His Serene Highness Prince Tu'ipelehake. In 2009 he became a Minister of the Realm when he was appointed Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.