The Prime Minister of Tonga said he would talk about Tonga and Britain’s transition into democracy when meeting Prince Harry tomorrow at St George Palace in Nuku’alofa.
Hon. Pohiva said he thought it would be interesting for the Prince if he talked about the similarities between the two kingdoms and how their peoples moved to secure the monarch’s executive powers.
He said both kingdoms had been absolutely ruled by monarchs before they changed into democracies.
“The two transitional periods and how they proceeded were interesting,” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister told Kaniva news in an exclusive interview in Auckland on Monday there was a vast difference in the two political revolutions. He described the British revolution as too complicated and Tonga’s was less intricate.
He said the British reformation ended in bloodshed with one monarch, Charles I, beheaded.
He said the political change in Tonga came after three decades of peaceful battle by the people.
That battle eventually succeeded after the late King George V voluntarily surrendered his powers in 2009 to meet the democratic aspirations of many of the commoners.
Hon. Pohiva said Tonga, the only monarchy in the south Pacific, should be proud of its political reforms.
He said the king and his privy councillors still held some key roles of the executive powers, but he hoped more consultations would lead to the king relinquishing more power.
Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex will arrive in Tonga tomorrow on day 10 of their 16 day tour, which began last week.
The royal couple have used their trip to Tonga to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who first visited the country in 1953.
The main points
- The Prime Minister of Tonga said he would talk about Tonga and Britain’s transition into democracy when meeting Prince Harry tomorrow at St George Palace in Nuku’alofa.
- Pohiva said he thought it would be interesting for the Prince if he talked about the similarities between the two kingdoms and how their peoples moved to secure the monarch’s executive powers.
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