| Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crown Prince of Tonga | |||||
 Tupoutoʻa in 2024 | |||||
| Minister of Foreign Affairs | |||||
| Assumed office 28 January 2025 | |||||
| Prime Minister | |||||
| Preceded by | Samiu Vaipulu (acting) | ||||
| Born | (1985-09-17)17 September 1985 (age 40) Nukuʻalofa,Tonga | ||||
| Spouse | |||||
| Issue | Prince Taufaʻahau Manumataongo Princess Halaevalu Mataʻaho Princess Nanasipauʻu Eliana Princess Salote Mafile’o Pilolevu | ||||
| |||||
| House | Tupou | ||||
| Father | Tupou VI | ||||
| Mother | Nanasipauʻu | ||||
| Religion | Methodism | ||||
| Tongan royal family |
|---|
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| Extended family |
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Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala, Crown Prince of Tonga (Siaosi Manumataongo ʻAlaivahamamaʻo ʻAhoʻeitu Konstantin Tukuʻaho;[1] born 17 September 1985) is theheir apparent to theTongan throne. He is the elder son and second child ofKing Tupou VI andQueen Nanasipauʻu. Since January 2025, he has served as minister of foreign affairs and minister forHis Majesty's Armed Forces.
Tukuʻaho was born on 17 September 1985 inNukuʻalofa.[2] He was educated atAustralian National University, graduating with a Master of Military and Defence Studies in 2018 and a Master of Diplomacy in 2021.[3]
Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala becameheir apparent to the throne in March 2012 upon the accession of his father,Tupou VI, as King of Tonga.[4] He was subsequently bestowed with the noble title ofTupoutoʻa.[5]
On 28 January 2025, Tupoutoʻa was appointed foreign minister and minister for His Majesty's Armed Forces to Prime MinisterʻAisake Eke's cabinet. He was the onlynoble in the Eke Cabinet. Tupoutoʻa was concurrently appointed as a member of parliament by the prime minister along with three other cabinet ministers.[5] He was retained as foreign minister in the cabinet of Prime MinisterFatafehi Fakafānua when he took office in December.[6]
On 12 July 2012, Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala married his double second cousin,Sinaitakala Fakafanua, in a wedding attended by 2,000 people.[7][8] He was 26 years old at the time, while his wife was 25 years old.[8] Sinaitakala Fakafanua is 26th in line to the Tongan throne.[8]
The wedding marked the first marriage of a Tongancrown prince in sixty-five years.[8] The ceremony was held at the Centennial Church of theFree Church of Tonga inNuku'alofa, with more than 2,000 guests, including Samoan and Fijian chiefly families.[9][7] The groom woremorning dress, while the bride wore a long-sleeved, lace wedding gown with a veil that reached the floor of the church.[10] A Maʻutohi ceremony, which celebrates the issuance of a marriage license, was held earlier in the week.[7]
The marriage between the Crown Prince and Fakafanua caused controversy over the continued practice ofmarrying closely related cousins.[11][12] Tongan royal protocol requires that members of the royal family only marry members of noble families to maintain a 'strong'bloodline.[11] All royal marriages are arranged.[13]
The wedding between the cousins was openly criticised by a few members of Tongan political and royal circles.[12] Two prominent members of the Tongan royal family,Queen motherHalaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe and theking's sister, Princess RoyalSalote Pilolevu Tuita, disapproved of the marriage and refused to attend the ceremony.[13] Daughter of the Princess Royal of Tonga, Hon. Frederica Tuita, who is ninth in line to the throne, openly condemned the union, calling the royalarranged marriage "extremely arrogant and only perpetuated the motive behind social climbers".[11] Pro-democracy leaderʻAkilisi Pohiva also criticised the wedding, tellingTVNZ, "They are too close... I do not know about biological effects of two close bloods mixed together, but I think they need new blood from outside."[11] A leader of Tongans living inNew Zealand, Will Ilolahia, stated that many Tongans opposed the second cousins' marriage, but were unwilling to speak out publicly.[11][14]
A maternal uncle of the Crown Prince,Lord Vaea, defended the marriage saying, "It's a new beginning for the royal household. They are both in their twenties, we are looking at that to preserve that constitutional monarchy within Tonga."[13]
Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala and Sinaitakala Fakafanua have four children:
Tonga: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of theRoyal Order of Pouono[19]Tonga: Knight Grand Cross with Collar of theOrder of Queen Salote Tupou III[19]Tonga: Knight Grand Cross of theOrder of the Crown of Tonga[20]Tonga: Recipient of theKing Tupou VI Coronation Medal[21]
Royal House of Two Sicilies: Knight Grand Cross of theRoyal Order of Francis I[22][23]| Ancestors of Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Media related toTupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala at Wikimedia Commons
Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala House of Tupou Born: 17 September 1985 | ||
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| First | Succession to the Tongan throne 1st position | Succeeded by |
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| Preceded byas Acting minister | Minister of Foreign Affairs 2025–present | Incumbent |
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*acting | ||
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| Americas | |
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