The Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Tonga

Tonga

Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...

 is located in the northwest of the capital, Nukualofa

Nukuʻalofa

Nukualofa is the capital of the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located on the north coast of the island of Tongatapu, in the southern most island group of Tonga.-Mythological origins:...

, close to the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...

. The wooden Palace, which was built in 1867, is the official residence of the King of Tonga. Although the Palace is not open to the public, it is easily visible from the waterfront.

Overview

In line with the deference the Tongans have for the royal family, poets almost never refer to the palace (pālasi) by name, but use heliaki (allegoric references) like: Fanga-tapu (sacred beach, the shore in front of the building), Loto-ā (inside the fence), Ā-maka (stone fence), Hangai Tokelau (northwind against), a tree near the kitchen, and so forth.

The old, about one meter high stone fence was so sacred to the king, that no one would ever dare to sit on it, let alone to cross it. However after 1990 the king had a 3 meter high grid fence erected. After 2000 some people broke through the gates with trucks. This prompted the installation of iron bars to secure the gates.

The king and his family have several more palaces to choose from. There is a palace in Fuaamotu, there is Kauvai near Longoteme, Liukava (revolution) in Kolovai

Kolovai

Kolovai is a village on the Tongan island of Tongatapu. Its 2006 population was 4,098.The village is notable for its lakalaka, the national dance of Tonga. A national monument has been proposed to preserve the site of the koka tree where members of the Tu'i Kanokupolu dynasty received investiture....

, and both Tufumāhina and Vila (the villa) between Koloua and Pea. The vila was built by crownprince Tupoutoa in the 1990s, who remained living there once he became king (Siaosi Tupou V

George Tupou V

George Tupou V , is the current King of Tonga.-Early life:...

), far away from any neighbours. Since that time the palace was largely unused.

However in 2010 major renovations were conducted. A new fence was erected and new wings were added, to house the national archives on one side and the privy council offices on the other side. It is expected that the king will also have royal audiences there again, instead of the now deserted buildings of the once British high commission.

There is Tauakipulu palace on Lifuka

Lifuka

Lifuka is an island in the Kingdom of Tonga. It is located within the Haapai Group in the centre of the country, to northeast of the national capital of Nukualofa...

 in Haapai

Ha'apai

Haapai is a group of islands, islets, reefs and shoals in the central part of the Kingdom of Tonga, with the Tongatapu group to the south and the Vavau group to the north. Seventeen of the Haapai islands are populated....

, Fangatongo (mangrove beach) near Talau on Vavau

Vava'u

Vavau is an island chain of one large island and 40 smaller ones in Tonga. According to tradition Maui fished both Tongatapu and Vavau but put a little more effort into the former. Vavau rises 204 meters above sea level...

, and there are residences in Niuafoou

Niuafo'ou

Niuafoou is the most northerly island in the kingdom of Tonga. It is a volcanic rim island of 15 km² and with a population of 650 in 2006.-Geography:...

 and Niuatoputapu

Niuatoputapu

For the 2009 tsunami, see the main article: 2009 Samoa tsunami.Niuatoputapu is an island in the island nation of Tonga, Pacific Ocean. Its name means sacred island. Older European names for the island are Traitors island or Keppel island.Niuatoputapu is located in the north of the country,...

. The palace of Eua

'Eua

Eua is a smaller but still major island in the kingdom of Tonga. It is close to Tongatapu, but forms a separate administrative division. It has an area of 87.44 km2, and a population in 2006 of 5,165 people.- Geography :...

 is just north of the harbour in Taanga. In the 1980s the previous king, Tāufaāhau Tupou IV

Taufa'ahau Tupou IV

Tāufaāhau Tupou IV, King of Tonga, GCMG, GCVO, KBE, KStJ son of Queen Sālote Tupou III and her consort Prince Viliami Tungī Mailefihi, was the king of Tonga from the death of his mother in 1965 until his own death in 2006...

 had a new palace built on a mountain top near Houma, but it was never used and around 1990 not much more than the artistically made bathtub was left over, overgrown by weeds, until after 2000 that had disappeared too.

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