Royal Visits to Tonga

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are starting their Visit to the Kingdom of Tonga today, and thus, we are taking a look at all the Royal Visits to Tonga. Tonga, an independent Kingdom in the Pacific, is part of the Commonwealth and the only Pacific nation retaining it’s original Monarchy.

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After Queen Salote gained widespread popularity when she attended the Queen’s Coronation in 1953, later that year she hosted the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh during the 1953-1954 Commonwealth Tour, for a two-day visit. Click HERE to see more of that visit!

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After a short visit in 1970, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh returned to Tonga in 1977, during the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Tour of the Commonwealth, when they were hosted by King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV and Queen Halaevalu Mata’aho ‘Ahome’e at a traditional feast. In return, the Queen and Duke hosted a Return Dinner for their hosts on the Royal Yacht Britannia.

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Other visits to Tonga were made by members of the extended British Royal Family. The Duke and Duchess of Kent attended the 1968 Coronation of King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV of Tonga. In 2006, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester attended the , and attended the Coronation of King George Tupou V in 2008. The Duke also attended the Coronation of current King Tupou VI in 2015.

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