Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee evokes legacy of Tongan monarch & More News Here

LONDON (AP) — Tonga’s chief diplomat within the United Kingdom can be fascinated by two monarchs this weekend as Britain and the Commonwealth have a good time Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.

There is Elizabeth, of course, who will have a good time 70 years on the throne with 4 days of parades and pageantry.

But High Commissioner Titilupe Fanetupouvava’u Tu’ivakano may even bear in mind her great- grandmother Queen Salote Tupou III, who endeared herself to Britons as she rode by way of the streets of London in an open carriage throughout Elizabeth’s coronation parade in 1953.

Despite pouring rain, Queen Salote refused to shut the highest as an indication of respect for the brand new monarch, drawing cheers from the revelers lining the streets.

“Every single Tongan knows about that experience,” Tu’ivakano advised The Associated Press. “I even have some individuals walking up to me (in London) and asking me, ‘Are you Tongan?’ These are ladies who were there 70 years ago. … They still remember what happened.’’

Tonga is an example of how Britain’s relationship with the world has changed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

The archipelago of 170 islands in the South Pacific was a British protectorate at the time of the coronation. It became fully independent in 1970 and joined the Commonwealth, a voluntary association of 54 countries that grew out of the British Empire and is headed by Elizabeth.

Britain worked closely with Australia and New Zealand, two other Commonwealth nations, to provide aid to Tonga after a volcanic eruption and tsunami devastated the islands earlier this year.

Queen Salote was just 18 when she came to the throne in 1918. She is credited with laying the groundwork for independence, though she died in 1965 before seeing it become reality.

Her actions at the coronation helped cement the links between the two countries, the diplomat said.

“There were crowds and crowds of people who witnessed this auspicious occasion and this sign of traditional Tongan respect which was passed down among generations,” she mentioned. “I think this has, in a sense, not only reflected the relationship between the United Kingdom and Tonga but also among the people of the United Kingdom that were there and also the people of Tonga.”

One of those that witnessed the occasion was David Hodge, a younger soldier who marched within the parade. Fresh from a posting in what was then referred to as Malaya, Hodge’s unit of the Somerset Light Infantry was positioned proper behind the Tongan monarch’s carriage.

“The crowd loved her sitting in an open carriage taking absolutely no notice of the weather and with a wonderful smile on her face the whole time,” Hodge wrote on the fortieth anniversary of the coronation in 1993. “Her happiness summed up the whole day for a great many people that day.’’

Hodge died in 2013. But his daughter Susan Duddridge will dance in Sunday’s jubilee pageant, providing a direct link between the coronation parade and this weekend’s celebrations.

She will be thinking of her dad as she joins 10,000 performers for the procession that ends outside Buckingham Palace.

“My dad was very proud when he was chosen to march at the coronation, so to have the opportunity to walk in his footsteps is amazing,” she mentioned. “And I am equally as proud to be part of this amazing day.”

The construct as much as the jubilee has additionally been a time of reflection for Tonga’s excessive commissioner, who has small etching of Queen Elizabeth II on her desk and an immense black and white {photograph} of her great-grandmother on her workplace wall.

Tu’ivakano sees similarities between the 2 queens from reverse sides of the world. Both had been topped at a younger age and took their locations in a male dominated world. Yet each turned iconic in their very own proper and maintain respect that transcends generations.

As she takes Queen Salote’s image off the wall to pose for {a photograph}, Tu’ivakano gently touches the sting of the body, dealing with it with nice care. It is sort of as if the queen’s spirit just isn’t far.

The great-grandmother she by no means met nonetheless serves as a guiding gentle. When requested what she would say to Queen Salote if she had the possibility, she responds quietly.

“I would tell her that she has left a great legacy, not only for our family, but for Tonga and the Pacific region and also the world,” she mentioned. “We have all tried to follow suit. I would tell her that.”

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Follow AP’s protection of Queen Elizabeth II at https://apnews.com/hub/queen-elizabeth-ii

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