Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe
Encyclopedia
HM Queen Halaevalu Mata'aho (b. 29 May 1926) is the Queen Mother
of the present King of Tonga
, George Tupou V
. She was Queen Consort
of the late king, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
, who died in 2006.
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe was born on 29 May 1926, the oldest daughter of ‘Ahome’e (Manu-‘o-pangai) and his wife, Heu'ifanga, a great granddaughter of the last King of the Tuʻi Tonga Empire. The Queen Mother is a descendent of Ma'afu. Halaevalu Mata'aho married her husband, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, on June 10, 1947. Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
died in 2006.
The Queen Mother celebrated her 85th birthday in 2011 with a five day celebration held in May. The celebrations began with a Garden Party for more than one hundred Tongan women held at the home of the President of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, Rev. Dr. ‘Ahio. The Queen Mother attended a Catholic mass at St. Mary's Cathedral
in Ma'ufanga with King Siaosi Tupou V on May 26, 2011. The Tongan Ministry of Education, Women Affairs and Culture held a student celebration for her birthday on May 27, with of primary school students from Pangai Lahi to Teufaiva Park, including presenting the Queen Mother with birthday gifts. A private party was held in Ha'avakatolo the next day, followed by a church service held at Centennial Church on Sunday, May 29, with a royal luncheon
at the Royal Palace
in Nukuʻalofa
.
The Queen Mother embarked on a two week trip to the U.S. state
of Utah
in July and August 2011. Specifically, the Queen Mother came to visit the Tongan United Methodist Church in West Valley City, Utah
, whose congregation had raised approximately $500,000 in less than a year to pay off the mortgage on the building.
The Mayor of West Valley City, Mike Winder, awarded the Queen Mother the key to the city on July 27, 2011. She met with Utah Governor Gary Herbert the next day.
Queen mother
Queen Mother is a title or position reserved for a widowed queen consort whose son or daughter from that marriage is the reigning monarch. The term has been used in English since at least 1577...
of the present King of Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
, George Tupou V
George Tupou V
George Tupou V , is the current King of Tonga.-Early life:...
. She was Queen Consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of the late king, Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
Tāufaāhau Tupou IV, King of Tonga, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, KStJ son of Queen Sālote Tupou III and her consort Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, was the king of Tonga from the death of his mother in 1965 until his own death in 2006...
, who died in 2006.
Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe was born on 29 May 1926, the oldest daughter of ‘Ahome’e (Manu-‘o-pangai) and his wife, Heu'ifanga, a great granddaughter of the last King of the Tuʻi Tonga Empire. The Queen Mother is a descendent of Ma'afu. Halaevalu Mata'aho married her husband, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, on June 10, 1947. Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
Taufa'ahau Tupou IV
Tāufaāhau Tupou IV, King of Tonga, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, KStJ son of Queen Sālote Tupou III and her consort Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, was the king of Tonga from the death of his mother in 1965 until his own death in 2006...
died in 2006.
The Queen Mother celebrated her 85th birthday in 2011 with a five day celebration held in May. The celebrations began with a Garden Party for more than one hundred Tongan women held at the home of the President of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, Rev. Dr. ‘Ahio. The Queen Mother attended a Catholic mass at St. Mary's Cathedral
St. Mary's Cathedral
St. Mary's Cathedral, or St. Mary Cathedral or Cathedral of St. Mary the Virgin, or other variations on the name, may refer to:-Canada:* St. Mary's Cathedral, Calgary* St. Mary's Cathedral, Kingston* St. Mary's Cathedral, Winnipeg-Ireland:...
in Ma'ufanga with King Siaosi Tupou V on May 26, 2011. The Tongan Ministry of Education, Women Affairs and Culture held a student celebration for her birthday on May 27, with of primary school students from Pangai Lahi to Teufaiva Park, including presenting the Queen Mother with birthday gifts. A private party was held in Ha'avakatolo the next day, followed by a church service held at Centennial Church on Sunday, May 29, with a royal luncheon
Luncheon
Luncheon, commonly abbreviated to lunch, is a mid-day meal, and is smaller than dinner.In English-speaking countries during the eighteenth century, lunch was originally called "dinner"— a word still used regularly to mean a noontime meal in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and some parts of England,...
at the Royal Palace
Royal Palace, Tonga
The Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Tonga is located in the northwest of the capital, Nukualofa, close to the Pacific Ocean. The wooden Palace, which was built in 1867, is the official residence of the King of Tonga...
in Nukuʻalofa
Nukuʻalofa
Nukualofa is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the southern most island group of Tonga.-Mythological origins:...
.
The Queen Mother embarked on a two week trip to the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
in July and August 2011. Specifically, the Queen Mother came to visit the Tongan United Methodist Church in West Valley City, Utah
West Valley City, Utah
West Valley City is a city in Salt Lake County and a suburb of Salt Lake City in the U.S. state of Utah. The population was 129,480 at the 2010 census,...
, whose congregation had raised approximately $500,000 in less than a year to pay off the mortgage on the building.
The Mayor of West Valley City, Mike Winder, awarded the Queen Mother the key to the city on July 27, 2011. She met with Utah Governor Gary Herbert the next day.