MOURNING TONGANS GREET THEIR KING

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30938, 20 December 1965, Page 1

MOURNING TONGANS GREET THEIR KING

(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A) NUKUALOFA, December 19. A mourning Tongan people greeted their new King Taufaahau Tupou IV with sympathy and love when he arrived home at the week-end.

It was an emotional homecoming for the King7"*who had left only a week before to fly to his mother’s bedside in Auckland and for his people. The R.N.Z.A.F. Hercules carrying the king and his consort, Queen Mataaho, circled the main Tongan island of Tongatabu and there were tears in the king’s eyes as he looked down on his tiny island kingdom.

Villagers wept openly as the King travelled along the road leading from the airport to the palace and in the palace grounds men and women were gathered to pay their special respects. As King Taufaahau stepped onto Tongan soil for the first time as its ruler, he was greeted by the Deputy Premier, the Hon. Mahe Tuponiua and by the British Consul, Mr A. Read.

The palace guard was drawn up flanking Fuamoto Airport and flags were at half mast. With the king on the Hercules were his two younger children, Prince Alaivahamamao and Prince Ahoeitu and members of the household. Outside the palace men and women clothed in course mats of grief were gathered and the cars drove down a long lane of girl guides to the palace entrance. CHANGED CLOTHES Inside the palace the King changed from the total black —the black shirt, tie, suit—he had worn on the plane and appeared in black Tongan dress. He too was wrapped in a mourning mat. One by one, in a moving and memorable occasion, the nobles walked towards him.

where he was seated on the palace veranda. They bowed, then crawled up to him sitting at hi* side for a few minutes msking their allegiance and their sorrow known. Black banners hang from coconut paints, shop fronts are covered, and many of the people are dressed from head to foot in black clothes. Unlike other Polynesian peoples, the Tongans use total black for mourning and the death of Queen Salote has caused a severe shortage of black cloth. The arrival of the Tofua on Monday will bring all available stocks of black cloth, perhaps 15,000 yards, from Fiji, but even this will not meet the demand.

Fifty thousand people of a total population of 70,000 are expected in -Nukualofa by Thursday.

They are coming by small ships and canoes from a hundred outlying islands to pay their' Homage and their arrival will cause a serious feeding and accommodation problem. Today, 3000 people gathered at the huge Free Wesleyan Centenary Church for a memorial service with King Taufaahau and his family, and other churches held similar services. Tomorrow, when Queen Salote’s body will be flown back from New Zealand, will be another day of mourning, and the funeral will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday.

Heads of State from most South Pacific countries are expected to fly in during the next few days accompanied by diplomatic representatives of many European countries. George Tupoutoa Tungi has formally taken the title of King Taufaahau Tupou IV. He is to be known informally as King Taufaahau. He is the fourth of the family of Tupou (Queen Salote was the third) to rule Tonga since the single monarchy was established in 1845 by his great-great-grand-father, Taufaahau, later King George Tupou I. His son. Crown Prince Taufaahau, is likely to assume the title of Tungi either when he returns to Tonga with his grandmother's body tomorrow or when he becomes 18 next year. King Taufaahau's brother. Prince Fatafelu Tuipelehake. has become Prime Minister in place of the Kina. The Deputy Prime Minister is a non-royal chief, the Hon. Mahe Tupouniua.