| Crown Prince of Tonga | |
|---|---|
| |
Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala since 18 March 2012 | |
| Style | His Royal Highness |
| Residence | Royal Palace, Nukuʻalofa |
| Appointer | The King of Tonga |
| Inaugural holder | Vuna Takitakimālohi |
| Formation | December 4, 1845; 178 years ago (1845-12-04) |
| Deputy | Taufaʻahau Manumataongo |
The Crown Prince of Tonga is the heir to the throne of Tonga.
The Article 32 of the Constitution of Tonga provides for male-preference primogeniture, meaning that the eldest son of the King automatically succeeds to the crown upon the monarch's death, and that the eldest daughter may succeed to the crown only if she has no living brothers and no deceased brothers who left surviving legitimate descendants.[1]
The current Crown Prince of Tonga is Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala, who became heir apparent to the throne on 18 March 2012 upon the accession of his father, Tupou VI, as King.[2]
The long reign of King George Tupou I (r. 1845–1893), the first constitutional monarch of Tonga, saw six different heirs apparent to the Tongan throne. The only legitimate son of the King, Vuna Takitakimālohi, died unmarried in January 1862, leaving the King without an heir.[3] The succession would remain vacant for thirteen years until the promulgation of the Constitution of Tonga in 1875, which legitimized Vuna's half-brother Tēvita ʻUnga and named him Crown Prince.[4] By 1889, the King would outlive ʻUnga and all three of his grandchildren (ʻUelingatoni Ngū, Nalesoni Laifone and ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku). That left his great-grandson Tāufaʻāhau (Fusipala's son) as the next Crown Prince who would succeed his great-grandfather in 1893 as George Tupou II.[5][6][7]
| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vuna Takitakimālohi | c. 1844 – January 1862 (aged c. 17–18) | 4 December 1845 | January 1862 (died in office) | Son of George Tupou I | Tupou |  |
| Tēvita ʻUnga | c. 1824 – 18 December 1879 (aged c. 54–55) | 4 November 1875 | 18 December 1879 (died in office) | Son of George Tupou I | Tupou |  |
| ʻUelingatoni Ngū | (1854-08-03)3 August 1854 – 11 March 1885(1885-03-11) (aged 30) | 18 December 1879 | 11 March 1885 (died in office) | Grandson of George Tupou I | Tupou |  |
| Nalesoni Laifone | c. 1859 – 6 June 1889 (aged c. 29–30) | 11 March 1885 | 6 June 1889 (died in office) | Grandson of George Tupou I | Tupou | |
| ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku | 18 May 1850 – September 1889 (aged 39) | 6 June 1889 | September 1889 (died in office) | Granddaughter of George Tupou I | Tupou |  |
| Tāufaʻāhau | (1874-06-18)18 June 1874 – 5 April 1918(1918-04-05) (aged 43) | September 1889 | 18 February 1893 (became king) | Double Great-grandson of George Tupou I | Tupou |  |
| Sālote Mafile‘o Pilolevu | (1900-03-13)13 March 1900 – 16 December 1965(1965-12-16) (aged 65) | 13 March 1900 | 5 April 1918 (became queen) | Daughter of George Tupou II | Tupou |  |
| Tāufaʻāhau Tungī | (1918-07-04)4 July 1918 – 10 September 2006(2006-09-10) (aged 88) | 4 July 1918 | 16 December 1965 (became king) | Son of Sālote Tupou III | Tupou |  |
| Tupoutoʻa | (1948-05-04)4 May 1948 – 18 March 2012(2012-03-18) (aged 63) | 16 December 1965 | 10 September 2006 (became king) | Son of Tāufaʻahau Tupou IV | Tupou |  |
| ʻAhoʻeitu ʻUnuakiʻotonga Tukuʻaho | (1959-07-12) 12 July 1959 (age 65) | 27 September 2006 | 18 March 2012 (became king) | Son of Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV & Brother of George Tupou V | Tupou |  |
| Tupoutoʻa ʻUlukalala | (1985-09-17) 17 September 1985 (age 38) | 18 March 2012 | Incumbent | Son of Tupou VI & Nephew of George Tupou V | Tupou |  |
