George Tupou V had ruled as the colourful and widely respected king of Tonga since 2008. During his short reign he acquired a modernising reputation for introducing democratic constitutional reforms into his small Pacific kingdom.
The grandson of Queen Salote, who famously refused to shelter from the rain at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953, he acceded to the throne on the death of his father, King Taufa’ahau IV in 2006.
These were not easy times for the generally acquiescent people of the impoverished South Pacific kingdom. An archipelago of about 175 islands, most uninhabited, some 1,200 miles north of New Zealand, Tonga has a population of about 105,000. Its royal family rules by absolute right, and during his reign King Taufa’ahau IV had resisted making any concessions to democratic reform. At his death impatience at the slow pace of change boiled over into riots in the capital, Nuku’alofa, during which many administrative and commercial offices were burnt down and several people were killed.
These events delayed Tupou’s coronation until 2008 and also persuaded him of the need to introduce modernising reforms, while retaining the institution of monarchy which most Tongans still held in high regard.
By 2008 Tupou had a mechanism in place to transfer power to a democratically elected parliament. He announced that he was ceding most of his executive powers to parliament. He would remain head of state, with the right to veto laws, decree martial law and dissolve parliament, but the parliament was responsible for day-to-day running of the country. He was crowned on August 1 that year in an elaborate five-day ceremony.
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King George Tupou V was born Siaosi Taufa’ahau Manumataongo Tuku’aho Tupou in 1948. He was one of four children. He was educated in Auckland, at the Leys School in Cambridge and in Switzerland. To his surprise, his father then decided that he would benefit from two years as an officer cadet at Sandhurst. This was a period that he did not always enjoy but it significantly influenced the rest of his life. On Crown Prince Tupouto’a’s first day at Sandhurst, his company sergeant major struggled to pronounce his name, only to be rescued by a languid voice from the rear rank, “Sergeant Major, just call me George,” so “Mr George” it was for the next two years. At Sandhurst, though not an athlete, he excelled academically, was a first-class shot and became much liked throughout the academy.
Tupou was for a short time attached to the 10th Royal Hussars (PWO), an association he always held dear, and he made a point of keeping in contact with officers of the regiment and his friends from Sandhurst. He then went up to Oxford in preparation for a stint as Tonga’s High Commissioner in London before returning to Tonga as Minister for Foreign Affairs. In the latter role his intellect and charm contributed much to Tongan diplomacy and he became a respected figure on the Commonwealth stage.
As Crown Prince and later as King, he also travelled widely, establishing cordial relationships in far-flung countries such as Mongolia and Bhutan, and he always tried to visit London at least once a year. He was well read, especially in history, and he was captivated by technical innovations and possibilities. His dinner party guests could be entertained with wellinformed discussions on the benefits of wave power or the latest computer wizardry. He was a fine mimic and could slip into any British regional accent so successfully that sometimes strangers did not believe that he was a king.
He admired most things British and he was extremely disappointed when the British High Commission, located next to the Royal Palace, and which had undoubtedly helped to influence Tongan affairs for many years, was closed on the grounds of cost. He found it insulting that the UK should remove its High Commissioner and conduct its affairs from Fiji, 500 miles away. He was particularly influenced by British ceremonial; he modelled elements of his coronation on that of Queen Elizabeth II and his birthday parade on the Sandhurst passing-out parade. Both events were carried off with precision and panache.
Tupou took a great interest in the Tongan Defence Force, and it was as a consequence of his foresight in projecting Tongan influence that Tongan platoons served, with distinction, in Iraq and Afghanistan. Several Tongans now serve in the British Army.
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Although Tupou’s reign was short, his influence on his country and its people was evident and he was much loved, even in the most remote villages of the sprawling archipelago. Always immaculately dressed — whether in national dress or a Savile Row suit — he mostly travelled around his kingdom in a London taxi, not as an affectation, but because it was spacious enough for him to wear any of the splendid uniforms he enjoyed. His monocle, spats and pith helmet were his trademarks, and many villagers would turn out to cheer him when he passed by.
He did not marry and lived with his staff outside Nuku’alofa. He had had medical problems last year, including kidney surgery, but until recently was not reported to be in poor health. His most recent engagements included an audience with the Pope in the Vatican at the end of February.
His younger brother, Crown Prince Tupouto’a Lavaka, succeeds him as King.
King George Tupou V, King of Tonga, was born on May 4, 1948. He died after a short illness on March 18, 2012, aged 63