Death Of Tongan Prince

WHEN we learned of the unfortunate death of Prince William Tuku’aho, of Tonga, we com municated with Prince George Taufa’ahau (Crown Prince of Tonga), who is a student at Newington College, Sydney; and the future ruler of Tonga very courteously replied as follows:

“ W Illiam Tuku’Aho Was My

tt brother’s name. He was 16 years old when he died, and he was just completing his education at Tubou College, at Na fualu, Tonga, when he was attacked by a heart illness to which he has been sub ject in the last few years. He died at the Palace on the night of April 28. He was the second eldest of the three of us. My younger brother is still at the College.

“My brother’s death was felt deeply by every Tongan, and was the severest blow my family has yet suffered. Although he was only young, for some time past he had been making a thorough and com plete study of the intricacies of native custom, tradition, etiquette, and social problems. Consequently, his knowledge of the Tongan native, and the phases of the gradual adaptation of Western civili zation to his needs, was one which would have filled any Tpngan with pride. The greater part of my mother’s work in con nection with important native social un dertakings (in the last five years, at least) passed through his very young but very capable, hands.

“When Fusibala, my aunt, died in Syd ney in 1933, his skill in carrying out the necessary ceremonies and traditional con sultations with the Chiefs of Tonga was brought to the test. Needless to say, he accomplished his task with all credit.

Thus, he won not only the admiration of those versed in the intricate structure of Tongan society, but also the love of every Tongan heart.

“So one can see the great loss that his death means. Undoubtedly it was a great family loss. But, it was a much greater loss to the country as a whole.

“Recently, there has occurred the death of the Samoan High Chief, Mata’afa. It would not be a departure from fact to say that my brother’s death was as great a loss to Tonga as was the death of the respected Mata’afa to the Samoans, who are our cousins.”

Prince Tuku’aho, the second son of Queen Salote, D.B.E., and H.R.H. Prince Tugi, died at Nukua lofa, Tongan Islands, on April 28, after several weeks’ illness. The prince, who was only 16 years of age, is shown on the right of the above photograph. Crown Prince George Taufa’ahau is on the left of the picture, and in the centre is the youngest member of Tonga’s Royal Family, Prince John Gu.