Halaevalu Mata’aho ʻAhomeʻe, or Her Majesty The Queen Mother of Tonga has died at the age of 90 in a hospital in New Zealand.
She was born on 29 May 1926 as the eldest daughter of Ahome’e (Manu-‘o-pangai) and his wife, Heuʻifanga. Through her mother, she was a great-great-granddaughter of the last King of the Tu’i Tonga Empire. She married her husband, the future King Tupou IV on 10 June 1947. They would go on to have three sons and a daughter. She outlived two of her sons; Prince Fatafehi died of heart failure in 2004 and King George Tupou V, died of leukaemia in 2012. He left only illegitimate issue and so his brother succeeded as King Tupou VI.
She was educated at a convent school in Tonga and St. Mary’s College in New Zealand. Her 85th birthday was celebrated in grand style in 2011. She was President of the Tonga National Council for Women and the President of the Tonga Red Cross Society.
She was laid to rest today at Malaʻekula, the royal burial grounds, as thousands lined the route of the procession.
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