Viliami Tungi Mailefihi
Encyclopedia
Viliami Tungī Mailefihi (1 November 1887 — 20 July 1941) was a 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...

n chief and consort of Queen Sālote Tupou III.

He was the son of Tukuaho (also see: Lakalaka
Lakalaka
The lakalaka is a Tongan group dance where the performers are largely standing still and make gestures with their arms only. It is considered as the national dance of Tonga and part of the intangible human heritage...

) who was the son of Tungī Halatuituia. The line of Tungī chiefs from Tatakamotonga was descending from the then defunct Tui Haatakalaua
Tu'i Ha'atakalaua
The Tui Haatakalaua was a dynasty of Tongan kings, which originated in the 15th century by taking over the power from the Tui Tonga line. Lost the power in 16th century to the Tui Kanokupolu dynasty, and disappeared into nothingness by the end of the 18th century.#Moungāmotua – around 1470; might...

 which in that time was more or less seen as an associate of the Tui Tonga
Tu'i Tonga
The Tui Tonga is a line of Tongan kings, which originated in the 10th century with the mythical Ahoeitu; withdrew from political power in the 15th century by yielding to the Tui Haatakalaua; and died out with Laufilitonga in 1865...

. As such they had the following from the people of Mua
Mu'a (Tongatapu)
Mua is a small city in the Hahake district on the island of Tongatapu, and it was for centuries the ancient capital of Tonga. It is divided in the villages Lapaha and Tatakamotonga, is close to Talasiu and famous for the ancient langi .-Geography:Mua is situated along the eastern side of the...

 if not from the whole Hahake district. Concerning his mother's side, Mele Siuilikutapu, she was the granddaughter of the Tui Vavau: Fīnau Ulukālala
Finau 'Ulukalala
Fīnau Ulukālala was a dynasty of 6 important hereditary chiefs from Vavau , currently in the kingdom of Tonga. Started somewhere in the 18th century, died out in 1960...

 (III, Tuapasi).

He was selected by King Siaosi Tupou II to marry his oldest daughter and heir, Sālote, even though she was 12.5 years younger than he. The wedding took place on 19 September (Christian ceremony) and 21 September (Tongan ceremony, the tuuvala) 1917, less than a year before Siaosi would die and Sālote would be crowned as queen.

The marriage was a success. Tungī's personality and status did a lot to elevate the esteem of the people towards their queen. Furthermore, their children born would carry the combined bloods of the 3 major Tongan royal dynasties. Tungi would always be remembered as very generous to all his relatives. His death in 1941 was a heavy blow not only to Queen Salote but to all Tungi's relatives and kainga.

Despite the respect he had for his wife, Tungī had many girlfriends everywhere around. But Tulu from his hometown Muʻa was his favourite and he visited her perhaps every week. Also that day when he and Sālote had welcomed a contingent of Australian mariners from the airport. While Sālote returned town with them, he used the opportunity to have a short detour to Muʻa. On this specific occasion he collapsed while with her.

Tungī was educated at Tupou College, Tonga and Newington College, Sydney. He was a follower of the Methodist Church. Tungī was a CBE and was also prime minister of Tonga from 1923 until his death.
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