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Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe

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For her great-granddaughter, see Halaevalu Mata'aho.
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe
Queen Mother of Tonga
Halaevalu in her youth
Queen consort of Tonga
Tenure16 December 1965 – 10 September 2006
Coronation4 July 1967
Born(1926-05-29)29 May 1926
Tonga
Died19 February 2017(2017-02-19) (aged 90)
Mercy Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
Burial1 March 2017
Malaʻekula
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1946; died 2006)​
Issue
Names
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe
FatherTēvita Manuopangai ʻAhomeʻe
MotherHeuʻifanga Veikune

Halaevalu Mata'aho ʻAhomeʻe (29 May 1926 – 19 February 2017)[1] was Queen of Tonga from 1965 to 2006, as the wife of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV. She was the mother of King George Tupou V and the current King of Tonga, Tupou VI.[2]

Biography

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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 Enele Maʻafu.[4]

Education

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She was educated at St Joseph's Convent School, Nuku’alofa, and St Mary's College, in Auckland, New Zealand.[5]

Marriage

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On 10 June 1947, Halaevalu married her distant relative Crown Prince Tāufaʻāhau of Tonga[6] (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 St. Mary's Cathedral in Ma'ufanga with King Siaosi Tupou V on 26 May 2011.[3] The Tongan Ministry of Education, Women Affairs and Culture held a student celebration for her birthday on 27 May, 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 29 May, 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.[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 also met with Utah Governor Gary Herbert the next day.[7]

Death

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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.

Queen Halaevalu Mataʻaho‘s coffin atop a catafalque carried by hundreds of Pallbearers towards the Royal Tombs.

The Queen Mother's remains were flown back to Tonga by the Royal Beechcraft G.18S Aircraft on 28 February, flanked by the C-130 Hercules of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, after lying-in-state at the Tongan royal residence, ʻAtalanga in Epsom, Auckland.

Honours

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See also: List of honours of the Tongan Royal Family by country

National

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Foreign

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Ancestry

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

Family tree

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References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Reigning Royal Families: Tonga International Who's Who, retrieved 6 January 2011
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Queen Mother celebrates 85th birthday". Taimi Media Network. 2011-05-31. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
  4. ^ a b "The Royal Family". Tongan Royal Family. Archived from the original on 2011-09-29. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
  5. ^ "Halaevalu Mata'aho ʻAhome'e, the Queen Mother of Tonga". Sydney Morning Herald. 27 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  6. ^ "DOUBLE WEDDING OF TONGAN PRINCES". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. XVII, no. 12. 18 July 1947. p. 13. Retrieved 18 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ a b c d Farmer, Molly (2011-07-30). "Queen Mother of Tonga celebrates with West Valley congregation". Deseret News. Archived from the original on August 7, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-14.
  8. ^ Andrew Cusack
  9. ^ Coronation of King Tupou VI
  10. ^ Getty Images
  11. ^ "Royal orders presented at Palace". Matangi Tonga. 1 August 2008. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  12. ^ gpdhome
  13. ^ a b c d e f g "Congratulations Queen Mother". Nuku'alofa Times. 26 May 2016. Retrieved 18 January 2022 – via Issu.
  14. ^ "Mic.gov.to". Archived from the original on 2018-06-09. Retrieved 2015-07-04.
  15. ^ wearing the order badge on her left breast
  16. ^ "Rest in Peace: Queen Mother is no more". Nuku'alofa Times. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2022 – via Issu.
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe
Born: 29 May 1926 Died: 19 February 2017
Preceded byas prince consort Queen consort of Tonga
1965 – 2006 		Vacant
Title next held by
Nanasipauʻu Vaea
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