George Tupou V.

George Tupou V ( Tongan Siaosi Tupou V, full name Siaosi Tāufaāhau Manumataongo Tukuaho Tupou V.; born May 4, 1948 at Tongatapu, † 18 March, 2012 Hong Kong) was from 2006 until his death in Tongan king.

Life

He was the eldest son of his predecessor, King Tupou IV Taufaahau After studying law at Oxford, he trained at the Military Academy of Sandhurst in Britain. On 4 May 1966 he was appointed Crown Prince of the South Pacific island state. As such, he had a strong influence on the policy of Tonga, he has also served as 1979-1998 the position of Foreign Minister. After that he was, inter alia, CEO of state-owned tourism company and an energy company. As Crown Prince, he was designated as his tribal title Tupoutoa. On 11 September 2006 he was proclaimed after the death of his father as the new King of Tonga, the solemn coronation took place on 1 August 2008. Three days before the ceremony, announced the unpopular George Tupou V as applicable, to hand over the governance of the Parliament. He wanted to take over only representative tasks. The proposals of a set up for that purpose constitutional and electoral Rights Commission, however, were implemented only partially: the king retained the right to dissolve Parliament and appeal against a veto laws.

As Crown Prince, he caused a stir with the plan, the entire genetic material of his future subjects at an Australian biotechnology company to sell. The unmarried monarch was regarded as Playboy. His illegitimate daughter ' Ilima Lei Tohi is excluded according to official figures from the succession; thus his younger brother Ahoeitu Unuakiotonga Tukuaho was the Crown Prince and is now his successor as king.

King George Tupou V died on March 18, 2012 in a Hong Kong hospital. A few weeks earlier, in February 2012 he visited Europe and was, among other things, for an official state visit by Pope Benedict XVI. been received in the Vatican.