Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe

Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe
Queen Mother of Tonga
Halaevalu in her youth
Queen Consort of Tonga
Tenure 16 December 1965 – 10 September 2006
Coronation 4 July 1967
Born (1926-05-29)29 May 1926
Tonga
Died 19 February 2017(2017-02-19) (aged 90)
Mercy Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
Burial 1 March 2017
Malaʻekula
Spouse
King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV
(m. 1946; his death 2006)
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
Full name
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe
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][6]

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.[7] 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.[7] The Mayor of West Valley City, Michael K. Winder, awarded the Queen Mother the key to the city on July 27, 2011.[7] She met with Utah Governor Gary Herbert the next day.[7]

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

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

Foreign honours

[11]

Ancestry

See the Tongan language page and ancestor's page ...

References

  1. 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.
  2. ↑ Reigning Royal Families: Tonga International Who's Who, retrieved 6 January 2011
  3. ↑ Royal Ark
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Queen Mother celebrates 85th birthday". Taimi Media Network. 2011-05-31. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
  5. 1 2 3 "The Royal Family". Tongan Royal Family. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
  6. ↑ Genealogy
  7. 1 2 3 4 Farmer, Molly (2011-07-30). "Queen Mother of Tonga celebrates with West Valley congregation". Deseret News. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
  8. ↑ Andrew Cusack
  9. ↑ Coronation of King Tupou VI
  10. ↑ Getty Images
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Royal Ark, Tonga – Tupou 10
  12. ↑ Star worn on left waist and badge worn beside star on right breast
  13. ↑ gpdhome
  14. ↑ Royal Ark
  15. ↑ Mic.gov.to
  16. ↑ wearing the order badge on her left breast
  17. ↑ Royal Ark
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
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