Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe | |||||
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Queen Mother of Tonga | |||||
Halaevalu in her youth | |||||
Queen Consort of Tonga | |||||
Tenure | 16 December 1965 – 10 September 2006 | ||||
Coronation | 4 July 1967 | ||||
Born |
Tonga | 29 May 1926||||
Died |
19 February 2017 90) Mercy Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand | (aged||||
Burial |
1 March 2017 Malaʻekula | ||||
Spouse | King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV (m. 1946) | ||||
Issue |
George Tupou V of Tonga Princess Salote, Princess Royal Prince Fatafehi Ala'i'vahamama'o Tuku'aho King Aho'eitu Tupou VI of Tonga | ||||
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Father | Ahomeʻe (Manu-ʻo-pangai) | ||||
Mother | Heuʻifanga Veikune | ||||
Religion | Methodism |
Halaevalu Mata'aho ʻAhomeʻe (29 May 1926 – 19 February 2017)[1] was the Queen Consort of Tonga from 1965 to 2006 and the wife of the late King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, who died in 2006. She was the Queen mother of George Tupou V and the reigning King Tupou VI.[2]
Biography
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe was born on 29 May 1926,[3] the oldest daughter of ‘Ahome’e (Manu-‘o-pangai) and his wife, Heuʻifanga, a great-granddaughter of the last King of the Tuʻi Tonga Empire.[1][4][5] The Queen Mother is a great-great-granddaughter of Maʻafu.[5]
Education
She was educated at St Joseph’s Convent School, Nuku’alofa, Tongatapu, and St Mary’s College, Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand.
Marriage
On 10 June 1946, Halaevalu married her distant relative Crown Prince Tāufaʻāhau of Tonga[5] (eldest son of Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga (1900-1965) and Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi).
The Queen Mother celebrated her 85th birthday in 2011 with a five-day celebration held in May.[4] The celebrations began with a Garden Party for more than one hundred Tongan women held at the home of the President of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, Rev. Dr. ‘Ahio.[4] The Queen Mother attended a Catholic mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in Ma'ufanga with King Siaosi Tupou V on May 26, 2011.[4] The Tongan Ministry of Education, Women Affairs and Culture held a student celebration for her birthday on May 27, with of primary school students from Pangai Lahi to Teufaiva Park, including presenting the Queen Mother with birthday gifts.[4] A private party was held in Ha'avakatolo the next day, followed by a church service held at Centennial Church on Sunday, May 29, with a royal luncheon at the Royal Palace in Nukuʻalofa.[4]
The Queen Mother embarked on a two-week trip to the U.S. state of Utah in July and August 2011.[6] Specifically, the Queen Mother came to visit the Tongan United Methodist Church in West Valley City, Utah, whose congregation had raised approximately $500,000 in less than a year to pay off the mortgage on the building.[6] The Mayor of West Valley City, Michael K. Winder, awarded the Queen Mother the key to the city on July 27, 2011.[6] She met with Utah Governor Gary Herbert the next day.[6]
Death
On 19 February 2017, the Queen Mother died which was confirmed by her granddaughter Princess Lātūfuipeka Tukuʻaho, High Commissioner of Tonga to Australia, a week after she was flown to Auckland, New Zealand for minor medical issues; the cause of death however was not released by the Royal Family.
The Queen Mother was flown back to Tonga by the Royal Beechcraft G.18S Aircraft on the 28th of February flanked by the C-130 Hercules of the Royal New Zealand Air Force
Patronages
- President of the Tonga National Council for Women (since 1965 until 2017).
- President of the Tonga Red Cross Society (TRCS) since 1972 until 2017.
Titles and honours
Titles
- 1926 – 1947 : The Honorable Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe.
- 1947 – 1965 : Her Royal Highness Princess Halaevalu Mata'aho, The Crown Princess of Tonga.
- 1965 – 2006 : Her Majesty Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho, The Queen of Tonga.
- 2006 - 2017 : Her Majesty Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho, The Queen Mother of Tonga.
National honours
- Tonga: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Order of Pouono (KGCCP)[7][8][9]
- Tonga: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Crown of Tonga (KGCCCT)[10][11]
- Tonga: Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Queen Salote Tupou III (KGCQS)[12]
- Tonga: Former Grand Mistress Dame of the King George Tupou V Royal Family Order (DKGTRFO)[10]
- Tonga: Recipient of the Tongan Red Cross Medal (RTRCM)[10]
- Tonga: Recipient of the King Tupou VI Coronation Medal[10]
- Tonga: Recipient of the King George Tupou V Coronation Medal[10]
- Tonga: Recipient of the King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV Silver Jubilee Medal[10]
Foreign honours
- United Kingdom: Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal (2 June 1953)[10]
- United Kingdom: Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal (6 February 1977)
- Taiwan: Grand Cross (Special Class) of the Order of Propitious Clouds (19 September 1977)[13]
- Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Special Class (2 December 1977)[14]
- Japan: Paulownia Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown[15]
Ancestry
See the Tongan language page and ancestor's page ...
Ancestors of Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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References
- 1 2 "A week of celebration underway for the Queen's 85th Birthday". Ministry of Information and Communications. 2011-05-25. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
- ↑ Reigning Royal Families: Tonga International Who's Who, retrieved 6 January 2011
- ↑ Royal Ark
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Queen Mother celebrates 85th birthday". Taimi Media Network. 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
- 1 2 3 "The Royal Family". Tongan Royal Family. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
- 1 2 3 4 Farmer, Molly (2011-07-30). "Queen Mother of Tonga celebrates with West Valley congregation". Deseret News. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
- ↑ Andrew Cusack
- ↑ Coronation of King Tupou VI
- ↑ Getty Images
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Royal Ark, Tonga – Tupou 10
- ↑ Star worn on left waist and badge worn beside star on right breast
- ↑ gpdhome
- ↑ Royal Ark
- ↑ Mic.gov.to
- ↑ wearing the order badge on her left breast
- ↑ Royal Ark
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe, Queen of Tonga. |
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe Born: 29 May 1926 Died: 19 February 2017 | ||
Preceded by Viliami Tungī Mailefihi as prince consort |
Queen Consort of Tonga 1965 – 2006 |
Succeeded by Nanasipauʻu Vaea |