QUEEN SALOTE OF TONGA

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22505, 13 September 1938, Page 10

QUEEN SALOTE OF TONGA

ANNIVERSARY OF HER ACCESSION

TWENTY YEARS ON THB THRONE

Tonga will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the accession to the Throne of Queen Salote Tubou. D.8.E., on October 11, and the occasion will be marked in Nukualofa by several days of jubilation, of which the main features will be an agricultural show, a regatta, sports meetings, native dancing, and displays of homage. The Tongan Government has also made arrangements for the spec.al issue of Id, 2d, and 2Jd stamps. which will be available on October 12.

Queen Salote rules over one of the smallest but happiest kingdoms in the world. It contains about 30.000 people and both Queen Salote and her husband, the Prince Consort Tugi. who is also Prime Minister, have modelled the Government of their country, which is a British Protectorate, on essentially British lines.

The first King of Tonga, based on the European conception of the title, was Taufaahau, who became King in 1845 under the name of George Tabou I. and died in 1893 at the age of 96 years. He was succeeded by his greatgrandson, who became George Tabou 11, and who died in 1918. His daughter, the present Queen, then ascended the Throne. Educated at Auckland Diocesan High School. Queen Salote has never lost her affection for the school, and on visits to Auckland invariably makes use of the opportunity to meet old school friends. The Crown Prince of Tonga. Prince Taufa a’Han. was- educated at Newington College. Sydney, and subsequently enrolled at Sydney University.