Sālote Tupou III

Sālote was a queen in Tonga.

She was a very tall woman. She ruled her land for a long time. She was the longest ruling queen in Tonga.

Sālote loved to write. She wrote songs and poems. She also helped people learn about the past.

She led her people through a big war. She was very brave during that time.

Many people loved her. She kept her palace doors open for all. She was a very kind leader.

Sālote Tupou III was the Queen of Tonga.

She ruled for nearly 48 years. This was the longest reign of any Tongan leader.

Sālote was born in 1900. Her father was King George Tupou II. When she was young, she lived in New Zealand. She went to a school there for five years. Later, she returned to Tonga. In 1917, she married a noble named Viliami Tungī Mailefihi. They had three sons.

Sālote became Queen in 1918. She led her people during World War II. Tonga helped Britain during the war.

Sālote also loved to write. She wrote many love poems and songs.

She was famous for her kindness. She kept her palace doors open to everyone. In 1953, she visited London. She went to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It began to rain during the event. Other people used hoods to stay dry. Sālote refused a hood. She rode in an open carriage through the rain. People in the crowd loved her for this.

Sālote died in 1965. Fifty thousand people came to her funeral.

Sālote Tupou III was a very important leader. She was the Queen of Tonga for almost 48 years. This was the longest time any Tongan monarch ever ruled.

She was known for being very tall. People in Tonga respected her a lot. They saw her as a hard-working and fair leader. She even kept her palace doors open to everyone.

Her life had many big changes. She was born on 13 March 1900. Her father was King George Tupou II. When she was a young girl, she lived in Auckland, New Zealand. She stayed with a family named Kronfeld. She went to a boarding school in Epsom for two years. Later, she returned home to Tonga. In 1917, she married a noble named Viliami Tungī Mailefihi. They had three sons together.

Sālote became Queen on 6 April 1918. This happened right after her father died. She led her people through a very difficult time called World War II. In 1940, Tonga declared war on Germany. In 1941, Tonga declared war on Japan too.

She gave Tonga's resources to help Britain. Tongan troops even fought in the Solomon Islands. She also helped scientists learn about Tongan history. She helped an expedition map old sites in the 1920s.

She was a very famous person in the world. In 1953, she went to London. She went to see the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It started to rain during the big parade. Most people used hoods to stay dry in their carriages. Sālote refused to use a hood. She rode in an open carriage through the pouring rain.

This made the people watching very happy. She was also a writer of poems and dance songs.

Sālote faced some hard health problems later in life. She had diabetes and also had cancer. In 1965, she joined a festival in Tonga. Ten thousand children came to wave at her.

This was the last time they saw her. She died in a hospital in Auckland on 16 December 1965. Fifty thousand people came to her funeral in Tonga. Her body was placed next to her husband in her tomb.

Sālote Tupou III was the Queen of Tonga from 1918 until her death in 1965. She held the throne for nearly 48 years. This was the longest reign of any Tongan monarch. She was a significant leader who helped preserve Tongan culture and traditions. People often remembered her for her impressive height and her approachable nature. She was known to keep her palace doors open to all people.

Sālote was born on 13 March 1900. Her father was King George Tupou II of Tonga. Her mother was Queen Lavinia Veiongo. Her early life was shaped by many changes and difficult moments. After her mother died in 1902, the King married ʻAnaseini Takipō in 1909. Because of Tongan traditions regarding heirs, the King sent Sālote to Auckland, New Zealand, for protection. She lived with the Kronfeld family and studied in New Zealand for five years. She attended the Anglican Diocesan School for Girls in Epsom for two years. Eventually, the chiefs convinced the King to have her return to Tonga. Under the Constitution of 1875, Sālote became the heir presumptive after her fifteenth birthday.

In 1917, Sālote married Viliami Tungī Mailefihi. He was a noble who was 30 years old at the time. This marriage was a strategic political move by her father. Tungī was a descendant of the Tui Haatakalaua dynasty. Their children would combine the blood of Tonga's three grand royal dynasties. Sālote became a mother at age 18. She had three sons: King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV, Prince Uiliami Tukuaho, and Prince Sione Ngū Manumataongo. She also experienced three miscarriages in 1920, 1923, and 1924.

Sālote became Queen on 6 April 1918. This followed the death of her father from tuberculosis the previous day. During her reign, she supported scientific research into the Tongan past. Between 1920 and 1921, she assisted the Bayard Dominick Expedition. This expedition was part of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum. She provided access to archaeological sites and important information. This work helped Edward Winslow Gifford compile reports on pre-contact Tongan history. Sālote was also a creative person. She wrote dance songs and love poems that were eventually published in 2004.

Sālote led Tonga through the challenges of World War II. Tonga declared war on Germany in 1940. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Tonga declared war on Japan in 1941.

She provided Tongan resources to support Britain and the Allied cause. Tongan troops participated in the Solomon Islands campaign, including fighting on Guadalcanal. During this time, she worked with an advisor named Rodger Page. Page was an Australian missionary who helped with the reunification of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga. Historians note that Page was a significant influence on the Queen.

In 1953, Sālote traveled to Europe for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in London. This visit brought Tonga to international attention. During the coronation procession, it began to rain heavily. Most people used hoods on their carriages to stay dry. However, Tongan custom says one should not imitate those being honored. Sālote refused to use a hood. She rode through the pouring rain in an open carriage alongside Sultan Ibrahim of Kelantan. This act made her very popular with the spectators.

Sālote's later years were marked by health struggles. She managed diabetes and underwent an operation for cancer in 1935. Even when she faced illness, she remained active in her duties. In July 1965, she participated in a festival celebrating her long reign. During this event, 10,000 children waved at her from the palace grounds. This was the final time the public saw her. Sālote died in an Auckland hospital on 16 December 1965. Her body was flown back to Tonga by the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Her funeral was attended by 50,000 people. She was buried next to her husband, and her tomb was guarded for several nights according to tradition.