Crown of Tonga
{{Short description|Crown of the King of Tonga}}
File:Kingtupoucropped.jpg wearing the Crown of Tonga following his coronation in 2015.]]
The Crown of Tonga was made in 1873 for George Tupou I at the behest of his prime minister, The Reverend Shirley Waldemar Baker.{{sfn|Rutherford|1996|p=71}} The crown was fashioned by Hardy Brothers, an Australian jewellery firm.{{sfn|Latukefu|1974|p=166}} The gold crown of Tonga is reputedly the largest and heaviest crown in the world.Gwen Blamires, op. cit., pp. 19-20; and Papers of Margarget Armstrong, MS 867, Auckland Institute and Museum Library.
History
For some time, Tonga's independence had been threatened by France.{{sfn|Rutherford|1978|p=161}} Since 1872 the German Empire also posed a threat to Tonga's independence with threats of annexation.{{sfn|Latukefu|1974|p=213}} The King and Reverend Baker composed the Constitution of 1875, which is still in effect today.{{sfn|Rutherford|1996|p=71}} At this time, Tonga also adopted a national flag, a coat-of-arms and a national anthem.{{sfn|Rutherford|1978|p=175}}
The first king to be crowned with the historic crown was King George Tupou I, the great-grandson and successor Tupou. Tupou II was crowned on 17 March 1893.{{sfn|Rutherford|1978|p=193}} His daughter and successor Queen Sālote Tupou III was crowned on 11 October 1918.{{cite journal|last=Grosvenor|first=Melville Bell|author2=Edwin Stuart Grosvenor|title=South Seas' Tonga Hails A King|journal=National Geographic Magazine|date=March 1968|volume=133|series=3|issue=March 1968|pages=322–343}} Queen Sālote was succeeded by her eldest son, who became King Tāufa'āhau Tupou IV. He was crowned on his 49th birthday, 4 July 1967. King Tāufa'āhau was succeeded by his eldest son, who became King George Tupou V. He was crowned on 1 August 2008. His younger brother and successor King Tupou VI was crowned on 4 July 2015.
References
{{reflist|2}}
= Works cited =
{{refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
- {{cite book|last=Rutherford|first=Noel|title=Shirley Baker and the King of Tonga|year=1996|publisher=University of Hawai'i Press|location=Honolulu|isbn=0-8248-1856-3}}
- {{cite book|last=Rutherford|first=Noel|title=The Friendly Islands: A History of Tonga|year=1978|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford|isbn=0-19-550519-0}}
- {{cite book|last=Latukefu|first=Sione|title=Church And State In Tonga|year=1974|publisher=Australian National University Press|location=Canberra|isbn=0-7081-0402-9}}
{{refend}}
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