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Tonga crowns king as last monarch of Polynesian country

Tonga’s Siaosi Tupou V was crowned king yesterday in a lavish, pomp-filled ceremony attended by royalty from around the world alongside Tongans in traditional dress.

The sovereign of Polynesia’s last monarchy sat on a huge golden throne, dressed in silk knee-breeches and a regal cloak trimmed with white ermine for the coronation ceremony, held in Nuku’alofa’s Centenary Free Wesleyan Church.

Church bells tolled and a 21-cannon salute rang out as the 60-year-old king was crowned, two years after the death of his father, Taufa’ahau Tupou IV, who reigned for 41 years.

Around 1,000 guests filled the church and hundreds more sat outside trying to catch a glimpse of the king, known as George Tupou V in English.

Japan’s Crown Prince Naruhito, Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and Britain’s Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were guests of honor along with regional political leaders and Tongans wearing traditional woven mats around their waists.

Paul Ilavalu, a member of the choir that performed at the ceremony, said the country saw the coronation as a new beginning.

“We are all proud and we are happy to see our king crowned and we wish he will lead us to a new life and a new prosperity,” he said.

Originally scheduled for last year, the coronation was delayed as Nuku’alofa reeled from the impact of a November 2006 riot sparked by a political rally in which eight people were killed and dozens of buildings burned.

Since taking power in 2006, Siaosi has backed political reforms in the semi-feudal state, where nearly a quarter of the 115,000 population live under the poverty line.

He has also tried to shake off his reputation as an eccentric figure whose tastes include elaborate uniforms, colonial-era pith helmets, and monocles.

The king entered the church to a fanfare of horns followed by bearers carrying the regal symbols of power of crown, royal scepter and ring, his 3m-long train carried by two child pages.

Anglican Archbishop of Polynesia Jabez Bryce anointed the monarch with oil, and later placed the crown on his head.

The Fijian-based archbishop performed all of the rituals that involved touching the king, because protocol forbids Tongans from having physical contact with their monarch.
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