Tuber Mirum 125 Posted June 8, 2009 Former Tongan prime minister Baron Vaea has died at 88. This is a long thread - is it worth reading, old timers? Edit: I did read it. It's a shame that Josco's original 'fat old bugger', which almost led to a diplomatic incident, has been amended. Luckily someone had the presence of mind to do a screenshot of the Google search page. Although the new version is also not bad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Guest Posted September 10, 2011 The late King's son and heir, King George Tupou V has had surgery in Los Angeles to remove his right kidney after a tumour was found. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VSBfromH 74 Posted March 18, 2012 King of Tonga dead - report George Tupou V has died in a Hong Kong hospital, but official confirmation is still awaited. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gunjaman5000 30 Posted March 18, 2012 Bloody hell! The new fat old bugger didn't last long did he? Is the King of Tonga the new Spinal Tap Drummer? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Windsor 2,233 Posted March 18, 2012 Bloody hell! The new fat old bugger didn't last long did he? Is the King of Tonga the new Spinal Tap Drummer? The King of Tonga has died in Hong Kong, sparking an outpouring of grief in the Pacific nation. I was always under the impression that he was rather unpopular in Tonga. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toast 16,140 Posted March 19, 2012 Shortly after his coronation, he appointed his younger brother, Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, as Crown Prince and heir to the throne. Now that's a name to conjure with, or summat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Vinegar Tits 606 Posted March 19, 2012 He looked like al-Fayed at Wills and Kate's wedding last year. Perhaps it's a conspiracy? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAFKAG 70 Posted March 20, 2012 New guy's fat old bugger potential: large. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Banshees Scream 110 Posted March 20, 2012 Top Tonga Toppled. New Guinness World Record. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DevonDeathTrip 2,358 Posted March 20, 2012 Also slightly off topic, but " ", a jaunty tribute to Queen Salote by former DeathList favourite Edmundo Ros, always makes me smile. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DevonDeathTrip 2,358 Posted November 16, 2015 Tonga's eighty nine year old Queen Mother, Halaevalu Mata'aho 'Ahome'e, the widow of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, might be worth a punt next year. I'm told she is not in good health and hasn't been seen in public recently. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gcreptile 10,972 Posted February 19, 2017 Tonga's eighty nine year old Queen Mother, Halaevalu Mata'aho 'Ahome'e, the widow of King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, might be worth a punt next year. I'm told she is not in good health and hasn't been seen in public recently. Dead now: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/tongan-kings-mother-passes-away-in-auckland-hospital Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
YoungWillz 21,046 Posted February 22, 2017 On 2/19/2017 at 12:27, gcreptile said: Dead now: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/world/tongan-kings-mother-passes-away-in-auckland-hospital Daily Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-4247898/Island-kingdom-Tonga-mourns-death-queen-mother.html Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DevonDeathTrip 2,358 Posted September 3, 2020 Tongan politician and noble of the Realm, Mataʻiʻulua ʻi Fonuamotu, Lord Fusituʻa has just won a by-election, automatically triggered due to his absence from parliament for a whole year. Perhaps His Lordship got the sympathy vote, as he remains in New Zealand, receiving treatment for an unspecified medical condition and there is no word on whether he is expected to return. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arghton 6,739 Posted August 9, 2021 https://twitter.com/rwthofficial/status/1423117361398177795 Tongan Queen Nanasipauʻu Tukuʻaho's mother Baroness Tuputupu Vaea (1930-2021), widow of 1991-2000 Prime Minister Baron Vaea (1921-2009) died at the end of last month and was buried last week: I get that Tonga is one of the 5 countries without any cases of covid and they have a travel ban... (3 if you exclude North Korea and Turkmenistan, those three being Tonga with a population of 100,000 plus Nauru and Tuvalu with the populations of 11,000 and 10,000) But I wonder if they have thought of what catastrophic consequences it would have if someone there happened to get covid and infect the whole leadership of the country, nearly all of them being overweight and 50 or 60+? However the king and the queen are vaccinated. The oldest members of the royal family of Tonga are currently the King's older sister Princess Royal Salote Mafileʻo Pilolevu Tuita and her husband, Siosaʻia Maʻulupekotofa Tuita (both born in 1951) Oldest Tongan nobles notable enough to have a wikipedia page (60+): Feleti Sevele (77, 1944-) Lord Sevele of Vailahi, life peer. Prime Minister 2006-2010 following Tupou VI. Sialeʻataongo Tuʻivakanō (69, 1952-) Holds the noble title of Tuʻivakanō (meaning "King of the borrowed boat) Prime Minister 2010-2014 following Sevele. Known for suffering a stroke while attending an UN general assembly in 2013 and money laundering. Maʻafu Tukuiʻaulahi (65-66, 1955-2021) Lord Maʻafu of Vaini, Current Minister for Lands, Survey and Natural Resources. ʻAlipate Tuʻivanuavou Vaea, Lord Vaea (63, 1957-) The Queen of Tonga's younger brother. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arghton 6,739 Posted December 13, 2021 Maʻafu Tukuiʻaulahi, Lord Maʻafu mentioned in the above post has died at 65 or 66 in Auckland hospital, New Zealand: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/top/457802/tongan-noble-dies-in-auckland-city-hospital He had served the Tongan royal family for around 40 years and was a parliament member from 2008 and the Minister for Lands, Survey and National Resources from 2011 until his death. He was also the Private Secretary of King Tupou IV from 2001 to 2006. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arghton 6,739 Posted January 15, 2022 https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/tonga-issues-tsunami-warning-undersea-volcano-erupts-82280968 Tonga has been hit by a tsunami caused by an underground volcano eruption. King Tupou VI has reportedly been evacuated from his palace near the shore. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sinbabad 1,124 Posted February 9 On 03/09/2020 at 23:46, DevonDeathTrip said: Tongan politician and noble of the Realm, Mataʻiʻulua ʻi Fonuamotu, Lord Fusituʻa has just won a by-election, automatically triggered due to his absence from parliament for a whole year. Perhaps His Lordship got the sympathy vote, as he remains in New Zealand, receiving treatment for an unspecified medical condition and there is no word on whether he is expected to return. He’s dead aged 51. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites