Betrothal of Two Tongan

Princes

(By August Hettig)

THE brightest spot of news in Tonga at present and one which brings happiness to the hearts of all Ton gans—is the alnouncement of \the be trothal of both Crown Prince Tupouto’ a-Tungi and Prince Fatafehi Tu’ipele hake. Their fiancees are Mata’aho ’Ahome’e and Melenaite Veikune respec tively. Both girls are of high rank.

Mata’aho ’Ahome’e will be twenty-one next May 29. She is the eldest daughter of Chief ’Ahome’e, Governor of Ha’apai. She was educated at St. Mary’s College, Auckland. New Zealand. Her father is the son of the late High Chief

’Ahome’e by ’Amelia, first cousin of the late Prince Tungi, father of the present Crown Prince. Mata’aho’s mother, Heu, is the daughter of High Chief Veikune, who was Speaker in the Legislative As sembly in 1945. Heu is second cousin to Her Majesty the Queen of Tonga through her mother Vahoi.

Prince Fatafehi’s betrothed, Melenaite, is daughter of Inoke S Veikune, the younger brother of High Chief Veikune, and the uncle of Heu. Melenaite is twenty-two years old and was educated in Sydney at the Ravenswood Methodist Ladies’ College. Her mother Lavinia (de ceased) was the daughter of the late High Chief Fotofili, by Leafa, daughter of the late Paramount Chief Kalanivalu I whose mother was the sister of King George Tupou I.

The Royal weddings will take place about May or June, and there are great preparations throughout all the Tongan islands already. The islanders vie with each other as to which island will pre sent, on the great day, the finest hand woven mats, the longest and best decor ated tapa-cloth, the most beautiful hand made baskets and hand-carved kalis (head rests), the most highly scented body oil of old Tonga, the largest kava root and the fattest porker.

A double wedding in the Tongan Royal House has never happened before and may never happen again. Judging from the present enthusiasm of the people Tonga will witness a Royal Tongan wed ding pageant of high traditional magni ficence.

Mata’aho ’Ahome’e.

It is still a sacred rule in Tonga that chiefly lineage be kept pure, and all their marriages are planned with that object.

The Royal Family, in particular, have set the example of rigid adherence to these rules. So important is this aspect in the Tongan Royal Family that a ref erence to Clause 33 in the Tongan Con stitution may be of interest: “It shall not be lawful for any member of the Royal Family who is likely to succeed to the throne to marry any person without the consent of the Queen. And if any person should thus marry, the marriage shall not be considered legal and it shall be lawful *tor the Queen to cancel the right of such person and his heirs to succeed to the Crown of Tonga. And the next person in succession to him who so mar ries shall be declared the heir and the offender shall be regarded as dead.”

Pacific Island residents who have daughters in their late teens, may be in terested to know that the finishing school for girls which was run under the direction of Dr. Mary Booth at Kirri billi, Sydney, before the war is again functioning. The school building was taken over by the American Army during the war years but it has now reverted to the “Memorial College of Household Arts and Sciences.” The school’s function is as its name implies—girls who do not wish to take up any other career can specialise in the art of running a home.

Boarders and day pupils are accepted and some students who live in attend classes and lectures at other educational insti tutions.

Melenaite Veikune.