George Tupou V
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| George Tupou V | ||
|---|---|---|
| King of Tonga | ||
 |
||
| Reign | 11 September 2006 - Present | |
| Born | 4 May 1948 | |
| Tongatapu | ||
| Predecessor | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV | |
| Heir Presumptive | Tupoutoʻa Lavaka (ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho) |
|
| Consort | none; unmarried | |
| Issue | none legally | |
| Royal House | Tupou | |
| Royal anthem | "Ko e fasi ʻo e tuʻi ʻo e ʻOtu Tonga" | |
| Father | Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV | |
| Mother | Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe | |
King George Tupou V (Tongan: Siaosi Tupou V, full name: Siaosi Tāufaʻāhau Manumataongo Tukuʻaho Tupou V), (born 4 May 1948) is the current King of Tonga.
He is the eldest son of the late King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, and was appointed as Crown Prince on 4 May 1966. In daily life, he was better known by one of his traditional, chiefly titles Tupoutoʻa.
The new king attended primary school in Switzerland and secondary school at King's College in Auckland, and went on to study at Oxford University and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England.
As crown prince, he held great influence in Tongan politics, and was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 1979 to 1998. He has substantial business interests in Tonga and abroad, and is co-chairman of the Shoreline Group/Tonfön. Once he had become king, his first proclamation was that he would dispose of all his business assets as soon as reasonably possible, as in accordance with the law.
The king is unmarried, and has no legal children. However, he has an illegitimate daughter, ʻIlima Lei Tohi, and through her he is already a grandfather. The constitution of Tonga is clear, there is no way that ʻIlima ever can inherit the throne.[1]
He was sworn in as king on 11 September 2006,[2] which also made him, from a traditional viewpoint, the 23rd Tuʻi Kanokupolu (the overlords of Tongatapu).
A formal coronation ceremony is planned to be held on August 1, 2007, after the official mourning period for his father (which will be 6 months for close relatives). [3]
[edit] References
- ^ Jane Phare. "The madness of King George of Tonga", New Zealand Herald, 17 September 2006. Retrieved on 2006-10-21.
- ^ Tongan Government Gazette Publication 20 and Gazette Publication 19 It might be a legal quibble whether he became King on his swearing in (11 Sept, midday), or on the death of his father the night before. However, although the death of his father will go into the history books as having occurred on 10 September at 23:34 in New Zealand, Siaosi was in Tonga at that time, where the clocks read 11 September 0:34. The issue is therefore irrelevant
- ^ "Tongan Coronation set for August 1, 2007". Retrieved on 2006-10-31.
| Preceded by: Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV |
King of Tonga 2006 – present |
Incumbent |
