Tupou VI

Tupou VI ('Aho‘eitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho; born 12 July 1959) is King of Tonga.

He is the younger brother and successor of the late King George Tupou V.

His educational journey took him to The Leys School in Cambridge from 1973 to 1977, followed by enrollment at the University of East Anglia, where he studied Development Studies between 1977 and 1980.

Transitioning to a military career, he joined the naval arm of the Tonga Defence Services in 1982, achieving the rank of Lieutenant-Commander by 1987.

He graduated from the US Naval War College as part of Class 33 in 1988.

His military service included commanding the Pacific-class patrol boat VOEA Pangai from 1990 to 1995, during which he participated in peacekeeping operations in Bougainville.

Demonstrating a commitment to academic pursuits, he obtained a master's degree in defence studies from the University of New South Wales in 1997 and another master's degree in international relations from Bond University in 1999.

In 1998, ʻAhoʻeitu transitioned from his military career to government service, assuming dual roles as defence minister and foreign minister until August 2004.

These roles were previously held by his elder brother Tupoutoʻa, who was then the crown prince and later became King Siaosi Tupou V.

His political career saw him appointed as Prime Minister on 3 January 2000, a role he held until his unexpected resignation on 11 February 2006.

He assumed the role of prime minister on 3 January 2000, and held this position until his resignation on 11 February 2006.

In 2004, a group of MPs urged him to step down as prime minister, after they chose to boycott the opening of the Tonga Legislative Assembly.

While the specific reasons for his resignation remain unclear, it is speculated to be connected to pro-democracy protests that had been ongoing since mid-2005, advocating for a reduced role of the royal family in government, eventually leading to the 2006 Nukuʻalofa riots.

His departure coincided with a period of heightened civic unrest, as pro-democracy protests gained traction from mid-2005 onward.

He was officially confirmed by his brother on 27 September 2006 as the heir presumptive to the Throne of Tonga, as his brother had no legitimate children.

The culmination of these sentiments materialized in the 2006 Nukuʻalofa riots.

The protests underscored a growing dissatisfaction with the existing political structure, calls for increased political representation and a more equal distribution of power.

Following his resignation, ʻAhoʻeitu assumed the role of Tonga's first High Commissioner to Australia in 2008, a position he held until his succession to the Tongan throne in 2012.

He took on the position of the chief of mission for Tonga's High Commission in Canberra when it was inaugurated in 2008.

This move represented a notable development in Tonga's diplomatic relations with Australia, highlighting the establishment of a formal diplomatic presence.

Concurrently, he served as a non-resident Ambassador to Japan from 15 January 2010 until his succession in 2012.

In 2010, he took on the role of Tongan ambassador to Japan.

ʻAhoʻeitu is married to Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho, the daughter of the Baron Vaea.

They have three children and four grandchildren:

He served as Prime Minister of Tonga from 2000 to 2006 and as Tonga's High Commissioner to Australia, and resided in Canberra from 2008, until the death of King George Tupou V on 18 March 2012, when he became King of Tonga, with the regnal name Tupou VI.

ʻAhoʻeitu was born in Nukuʻalofa, Tonga, as the third son and youngest child of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV.

She has been High Commissioner to Australia since 22 August 2012.

Upon his confirmation as heir presumptive, he acquired the traditional title of Tupoutoʻa, reserved for crown princes, a position his older brother relinquished due to marrying a commoner.

Prior to ascending the throne, he was known as Tupoutoʻa Lavaka.

His elder son, Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala, holds the title of ʻUlukālala of Fangatongo, while his second son, Prince Ata, was bestowed with the title ʻAta of Hihifo.

In 2013, he was appointed as the Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific.

King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau’u were crowned in a ceremony conducted at Centenary Church in Nukuʻalofa on 4 July 2015 by the Reverend D'Arcy Wood, a retired Uniting Church in Australia minister who was born in Tonga.

He was assisted by the Reverend 'Ahio and the Reverend Tevita Havea, the president and the secretary general of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga.

The celebrations included many international invited guests, and an estimated 15,000 people, mostly expatriate Tongans, flew in to join the celebrations.

During the ceremony, Tupou VI was anointed with holy oil, adorned with a ring, and presented with a sceptre.

The crown was then placed on his head by Wood, who performed the anointing and crowning as a matter of circumventing the taboo on native Tongans touching the King's head.

The celebrations ran for a total of eleven days, beginning a week before the ceremony.

On 25 August 2017, Tupou VI dismissed Prime Minister ʻAkilisi Pōhiva, dissolved the Legislative Assembly, and ordered early elections to be held by mid-November.

Following the king's dissolution of the government, the speaker, Lord Tu’ivankō, issued a statement explaining his advice to the King that led him to dismiss the Prime Minister.

Lord Tu’ivankō stated that Pōhiva had made unconstitutional moves, including signing international agreements without the King's consent.