Ê»Ilima Lei Tohi

Ilima Lei Fifita Tohi (born 1974), also known since her marriage as 'Ilimalei Kalaniuvalu, is claimed to be the illegitimate daughter of late King George Tupou V of Tonga.
Ilima lived in Fasi mo e afi, attended Queen Salote College, and on 2 December 1997, married Tulutulumafua i Olotele Kalaniuvalu, a police officer from Lapaha, with whom she had one daughter (Siboney Siofia 'A Ha'atakalangi Lavenia Hemoata). Ilimalei then remarried again to Mr. Denis Rolfs Tu'inukuafe and had an additional 2 daughters (Agnes-Latuholeva and Sala'aetau-'Ulukihelupetea) and one son (George-Tupou Vuna Tu'inukuafe).The previous king of Tonga, her grandfather, , and other members of the Royal Family, attended her wedding in the Free Wesleyan Church of Fasi mo e afi. As of 2007, Ilima is living in and working in NukuÊ»alofa at the Tongan ministry of training, employment, youth and sports.
Although the king was unmarried and had no legal heir, Tongan constitution and culture dictate that it was not possible for him to raise his illegitimate daughter to higher ranks in the monarchy. The articles in the constitution of Tonga regarding the country's line of succession state clearly that only a child of a legal marriage can succeed the throne of his or her parent. Additionally, in traditional Tongan culture, one may inherit land and status from one's father, but one's rank in society is determined solely by one's mother. In a hypothetical situation in which a beggar marries a queen and has a son who chooses to follow in his father's footsteps, Tongan culture dictates that the son would sit as a royal among the chiefs of the country. In a hypothetical situation that is reversed, for example a prince marries a woman of no rank, the child would be like any other commoner of the country in the eyes of the country's chiefs, even if he became, for example, a rich and influential businessman.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu