Crown Prince of Tonga turns 40

The Crown Prince of Tonga, Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala, is marking his 40th birthday today. He will one day rule the island country.

While it is unknown how he will mark his special day, the Royal News Organisation is taking a look at the future king most haven’t heard about.

He was born on 17 September 1985 to Tupou VI and Nanasipau’u (who were then the Crown Prince and Crown Princess) in the capital of Nukuʻalofa. His birthday is a national holiday in the country.

Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala studied diplomacy and military defence for a master’s degree in Australia and is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for His Majesty’s Armed Forces.

He became the Crown Prince of Tonga on 18 March 2012 when his father ascended to the throne after the death of his uncle, King George Tupou V.

Following tradition, he was married in an arranged marriage by his mother. Royal tradition dictates that royals marry nobility, but this union was controversial due to how closely related the pair were. Even members of the Royal Family expressed their disapproval with the King’s sister refusing to attend.

The Crown Prince married his double second cousin, Sinaitakala Fakafanua, on a national holiday in the Pacific Islands nation in 2012.

The couple in 2012. Photo: Foreign and Commonwealth Office/Flickr/OGL v1.0

The couple married in a Methodist ceremony, in what was the first wedding of a Tongan crown prince in 65 years.

Together, Crown Prince Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala and Crown Princess Sinaitakala Tukuʻaho have four children: Prince Taufaʻahau Manumataongo (b. 2013), Princess Halaevalu Mataʻaho (b. 2014), Princess Nanasipauʻu Eliana (b. 2018) and Princess Salote Mafileʻo Pilolevu (2021).

As the heir to the throne, the Crown Prince attends events in Tonga and abroad in representation of his father and the Crown.