Crown Prince of Tonga

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Crown Prince of Tonga
Incumbent
Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala
since 18 March 2012
StyleHis Royal Highness
ResidenceRoyal Palace, Nukuʻalofa
AppointerThe King of Tonga
Inaugural holderVuna Takitakimālohi
FormationDecember 4, 1845; 178 years ago (1845-12-04)
DeputyTaufaʻahau Manumataongo

The Crown Prince of Tonga is the heir to the throne of Tonga.

The Article 32 of the Constitution of Tonga provides for male-preference primogeniture, meaning that the eldest son of the King automatically succeeds to the crown upon the monarch's death, and that the eldest daughter may succeed to the crown only if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants.[1]

The current Crown Prince of Tonga is Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala, who became heir apparent to the throne on 18 March 2012 upon the accession of his father, Tupou VI, as King.[2]

Succession to George Tupou I

The long reign of King George Tupou I (r. 1845–1893), the first constitutional monarch of Tonga, saw six different heirs apparent to the Tongan throne. The only legitimate son of the King, Vuna Takitakimālohi, died unmarried in January 1862, leaving the King without an heir.[3] The succession would remain vacant for thirteen years until the promulgation of the Constitution of Tonga in 1875, which legitimized Vuna's half-brother Tēvita ʻUnga and named him Crown Prince.[4] By 1889, the King would outlive ʻUnga and all three of his grandchildren (ʻUelingatoni Ngū, Nalesoni Laifone and ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku). That left his great-grandson Tāufaʻāhau (Fusipala's son) as the next Crown Prince who would succeed his great-grandfather in 1893 as George Tupou II.[5][6][7]

Crown Princes of Tonga (1845–present)

NameLifespanReign startReign endNotesFamilyImage
Vuna Takitakimālohic. 1844 – January 1862
(aged c. 17–18)
4 December 1845January 1862
(died in office)
Son of George Tupou ITupouVuna Takitakimālohi of Tonga
Tēvita ʻUngac. 1824 – 18 December 1879
(aged c. 54–55)
4 November 187518 December 1879
(died in office)
Son of George Tupou ITupouTēvita ʻUnga of Tonga
ʻUelingatoni Ngū(1854-08-03)3 August 1854 – 11 March 1885(1885-03-11) (aged 30)18 December 187911 March 1885
(died in office)
Grandson of George Tupou ITupouʻUelingatoni Ngū of Tonga
Nalesoni Laifonec. 1859 – 6 June 1889
(aged c. 29–30)
11 March 18856 June 1889
(died in office)
Grandson of George Tupou ITupou
ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku18 May 1850 – September 1889
(aged 39)
6 June 1889September 1889
(died in office)
Granddaughter of George Tupou ITupouʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku of Tonga
Tāufaʻāhau(1874-06-18)18 June 1874 – 5 April 1918(1918-04-05) (aged 43)September 188918 February 1893
(became king)
Double Great-grandson of George Tupou ITupouSiaosi Tāufaʻāhau of Tonga
Sālote Mafile‘o Pilolevu(1900-03-13)13 March 1900 – 16 December 1965(1965-12-16) (aged 65)13 March 19005 April 1918
(became queen)
Daughter of George Tupou IITupouSālote Mafile‘o Pilolevu of Tonga
Tāufaʻāhau Tungī(1918-07-04)4 July 1918 – 10 September 2006(2006-09-10) (aged 88)4 July 191816 December 1965
(became king)
Son of Sālote Tupou IIITupouTāufaʻāhau Tungī of Tonga
Tupoutoʻa(1948-05-04)4 May 1948 – 18 March 2012(2012-03-18) (aged 63)16 December 196510 September 2006
(became king)
Son of Tāufaʻahau Tupou IVTupouTupoutoʻa of Tonga
ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho (1959-07-12) 12 July 1959 (age 64)27 September 200618 March 2012
(became king)
Son of Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV & Brother of George Tupou VTupouʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho of Tonga
Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala (1985-09-17) 17 September 1985 (age 38)18 March 2012IncumbentSon of Tupou VI & Nephew of George Tupou VTupouTupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala of Tonga

See also

References

  1. ^ "Constitution of Tonga: Article 32". WIPO Lex. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Tonga Crown Prince weds". Radio New Zealand International. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2012.
  3. ^ Rodman & Rutherford 2007, p. 26–27.
  4. ^ Spurway 2015, p. 155.
  5. ^ Wood-Ellem 1999, pp. 309, 314, 322, 324.
  6. ^ Biersack 1996, p. 274.
  7. ^ Hixon 2000, p. 202.

Bibliography