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 | 29 May 1926 Tonga | ||||
| Died | 19 February 2017 (aged 90) Mercy Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand | ||||
| Burial | 1 March 2017 | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | George Tupou V of Tonga Salote, Princess Royal Prince Fatafehi Ala'i'vahamama'o Tuku'aho Aho'eitu Tupou VI of Tonga | ||||
| |||||
| 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 widow of the late King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV of Tonga. She was the mother of King George Tupou V and the current reigning King of Tonga, Tupou VI.[2]
Biography[]
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe was born on 29 May 1926,[1] the eldest daughter of The Hon. Tevita Manu-’o-pangai, ‘Ahome’e, sometime Governor of Vava’u and Ha’apai and Minister for Police and his wife, Heuʻifanga Veikune, a great-granddaughter of the Tu'i Tonga[1][3][4] She was also a great-great-granddaughter of Maʻafu.[4]
Education[]
She was educated at St Joseph's Convent School, Nuku’alofa, and St Mary's College, in Auckland, New Zealand.[5]
Marriage[]
On 10 June 1946, Halaevalu married her distant relative Crown Prince Tāufaʻāhau of Tonga[4] (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.[3] 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.[3] The Queen Mother attended a Roman Catholic mass at in Ma'ufanga with King Siaosi Tupou V on May 26, 2011.[3] The Tongan Ministry of Education, Women Affairs and Culture held a student celebration for her birthday on May 27, with primary school students from Pangai Lahi to Teufaiva Park, presenting the Queen Mother with birthday gifts.[3] A private party was held in Ha'avakatolo the next day, followed by a church service held at the Centennial Church on Sunday, May 29, and a luncheon at the Royal Palace in Nukuʻalofa.[3]
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 also met with Utah Governor Gary Herbert the next day.[6]
Death[]
On 19 February 2017, the Queen Mother died aged 90, 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 publicly.
The Queen Mother was flown back to Tonga by the Royal Beechcraft G.18S Aircraft on February 28 flanked by the C-130 Hercules of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, after lying-in-state at the Tongan royal residence, 'Atalanga in Epsom, Auckland.
Honours[]
National[]
Tonga: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Pouono[7][8][9]- Tonga: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Crown[10]
- Tonga: Knight Grand Cross of the Order Order of Sālote Tupou III[11]
- Tonga: Dame of the Royal Family Decoration of King George Tupou V[citation needed]
- Tonga: Recipient of the Red Cross Medal[citation needed]
- Tonga: Recipient of the King Tupou VI Coronation Medal[citation needed]
- Tonga: Recipient of the King George Tupou V Coronation Medal[citation needed]
- Tonga: Recipient of the King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV Silver Jubilee Medal[citation needed]
Foreign[]
Germany: Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Special Class[12]
Japan: Paulownia Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown[13]
Taiwan: Grand Cross of the Order of Propitious Clouds[citation needed]
United Kingdom: Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal[citation needed]- United Kingdom: Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
Ancestry[]
See the Tongan language page and ancestor's page ...
| showAncestors of Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe |
|---|
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "A week of celebration underway for the Queen's 85th Birthday". Ministry of Information and Communications. 2011-05-25. Archived from the original on 2012-03-28. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
- ^ Reigning Royal Families: Tonga International Who's Who, retrieved 6 January 2011
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f "Queen Mother celebrates 85th birthday". . 2011-05-31. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c "The Royal Family". Tongan Royal Family. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
- ^ "Halaevalu Mata'aho ʻAhome'e, the Queen Mother of Tonga". Sydney Morning Herald. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c d 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
- ^ Star worn on left waist and badge worn beside star on right breast
- ^ gpdhome
- ^ Mic.gov.to
- ^ wearing the order badge on her left breast
- 1926 births
- 2017 deaths
- Tongan nobles
- Tongan royal consorts
- Queen mothers
- Princesses by marriage
- Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Order of the Precious Crown members
- Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown
- People educated at St Mary's College, Auckland
- 20th-century Tongan women
- 21st-century Tongan women
- 20th-century Tongan people
- 21st-century Tongan people