The Year of Queen Sālote Tupou III – ʻAnaseini Takipō, the unloved stepmother

Princess Sālote’s mother, Lavinia, died in 1902 when Sālote was just two years old. Her parents’ marriage had been quite controversial as King George had originally been meant to marry Princess ʻOfakivavaʻu, but he had chosen Lavinia instead. With Lavinia dead and in order to appease those who had been offended by his first marriage, he now chose to marry Princess ʻOfakivavaʻu’s half-sister, Princess ʻAnaseini Takipō. Princess ʻOfakivavaʻu herself had died in 1901 of tuberculosis.

ʻAnaseini Takipō was born on 1 March 1893 as the daughter of Tēvita Ula Afuhaʻamango, Noble of Vavaʻu, and Siosiana Tongovua Tae Manusā. She was just sixteen years old when she married Salote’s father. Sālote was reportedly “devastated” to learn he was to remarry.¹ Sālote was nine years old at the time, and if her father and ʻAnaseini Takipō had a son, she would be displaced in the line of succession.

George and ʻAnaseini Takipō were married on 11 November 1909. Trying to outshine the King’s previous wedding, the bride’s family provided a wedding dress costing £100 and a trousseau worth £500. George spent £400 on the fakapapālangi wedding ceremony and breakfast.² ʻAnaseini Takipō wore an empire gown trimmed with pearls and roses.³

In the tradition of Tonga, children from an earlier marriage were in danger of being killed. George claimed he was sending Sālote away for her education, but she was sent on the earliest possible steamer in December 1909, and she left without the customary companions. She was brought to Auckland and left with a family called Kronfeld.⁴ Despite the circumstances, ʻAnaseini Takipō wrote letters to her new stepdaughter.

A son was expected, and ʻAnaseini Takipō fell pregnant in 1910. She gave birth to her first child, a daughter named ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonelua, on 20 March 1911. Sālote never met this half-sister as the infant tragically died just five months later on 11 August 1911. In December 1911, Sālote came home to Tonga to visit, and ʻAnaseini Takipō waited to greet her. She returned to Auckland shortly after her 12th birthday, and by then, ʻAnaseini Takipō was pregnant again. On 26 July 1912, she gave birth to a second daughter, Princess ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku. Sālote received the news via telegram.

The relationship between Sālote and ʻAnaseini Takipō was never warm, and during a visit in 1912, Sālote may have insulted her stepmother.⁵

In 1914, ʻAnaseini Takipō was one of the first recipients of the newly founded Tongan Order of the Crown, and she was appointed as Knight Grand Commander. The First World War had recently broken out and Tonga declared neutrality despite being a British Protectorate. When Tonga joined the United Kingdom in the war, the medals of German providence were put away.

From around 1915, Princess Sālote was back in Tonga, and the animosity towards her stepmother became more apparent. Sālote was annoyed at the Queen for her relaxed ways and her eating together with the servant girls on the veranda.⁶ She claimed that her father and ʻAnaseini Takipō were not well-suited and continued to “torment” her stepmother. The Queen’s family also insisted on treating her half-sister as the only royal princess. ʻAnaseini Takipō was from a higher female than Sālote’s mother, Lavinia. Sālote would later claim that the women of their family had bad blood.⁷

By 1917, it was clear that ʻAnaseini Takipō would have no more children. Without a son, Princess Sālote was first in the line of succession. In early 1917, her father became ill and was clearly in declining health. Around this time, a suitor for Sālote was found who met with the approval of the Privy Council, the public and the royal family. His name was Tungī Mailefihi. They were married on 19 September 1917. Her father looked well despite still being ill. ʻAnaseini Takipō wore a white silk dress and a light gold coronet.⁸ The Tongan ceremony followed two days later.

When King George Tupou II died on 5 April 1918, Sālote had just turned 18 years old, and she was six months pregnant. His immediate cause of death had been heart failure, although he had been diagnosed with tuberculosis. He was still only 43 years old. ʻAnaseini Takipō attended his funeral “heavily veiled.” ⁹ Tonga went into six months of official mourning. During this time, Sālote gave birth to her first child, a son named Tāufaʻāhau Tupou. In October, Queen Sālote had her coronation.

Disaster struck not much later. A ship had brought the deadly influenza virus to Tonga. The disease spread quickly, and the loss of life was immense. The royal family was not spared either. Queen Sālote’s husband became very ill, and Sālote was also sick but had no fever.

ʻAnaseini Takipō had been living with her daughter at Finefekai since the death of the King. She died of the disease on 25 November 1919, still only 25 years old. She was buried at Malaʻeʻaloa rather than the royal burial ground at Mala’ekula. Queen Sālote explained this by saying that ʻAnaseini Takipō had returned to her own family, and so it was the responsibility of her birth family to attend her burial. One can only wonder if there wasn’t a bit of animosity involved in that decision.

Queen Sālote took her half-sister into her care if only to take her away from the influence of her maternal family.

1. Sālote: Queen of Paradise by Margaret Hixon p.42
2. Queen Sālote of Tonga: The Story of an Era 1900–1965 by Elizabeth Wood-Ellem p.12
3. Sālote: Queen of Paradise by Margaret Hixon p.42
4. Queen Sālote of Tonga: The Story of an Era 1900–1965 by Elizabeth Wood-Ellem p.13
5. Sālote: Queen of Paradise by Margaret Hixon p.54
6. Sālote: Queen of Paradise by Margaret Hixon p.65
7. Queen Sālote of Tonga: The Story of an Era 1900–1965 by Elizabeth Wood-Ellem p.36
8. Sālote: Queen of Paradise by Margaret Hixon p.75
9. Queen Sālote of Tonga: The Story of an Era 1900–1965 by Elizabeth Wood-Ellem p.48