The decision to move the US President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony indoors because of “dangerous” cold temperatures has drawn comparisons to the late Queen Sālote Tupou III of Tonga, who famously rode in the rain during Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.
Trump said his inauguration as United States president on Monday (Tuesday NZT) will be moved indoors due to expected freezing weather.
“There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country,” Trump wrote on his app Truth Social.
“Therefore, I have ordered the Inauguration Address, in addition to prayers and other speeches, to be delivered in the United States Capitol Rotunda.”
The change of plan means that Trump will not have the opportunity to stand on the Capitol steps overlooking the National Mall—a place that has traditionally welcomed presidents with a large crowd.
The last time a president took the oath of office indoors was Ronald Reagan in 1985, who also moved the ceremony into the Capitol’s ornate Rotunda due to dangerously cold weather.
The move prompted comparisons to similarly cold weather that the Late Queen Sālote encountered in the United Kingdom more than 70 years ago.
Queen Sālote stole the show while riding through London streets in an open carriage during Elizabeth’s coronation parade in 1953.
Despite pouring rain, Queen Sālote refused to close the top to show respect for the new monarch, drawing cheers from the revellers lining the streets.
Michael Field, a New Zealand veteran Pacific journalist, remembered Queen Sālote’s encounter after the news about Trump’s inauguration.
He posted on Facebook saying Trump’s inauguration is “moving inside because it too cold for the old fellow”.
“In 1953 at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation it rained heavily but Queen Salote of Tonga was undeterred & rode in an open carriage. She said people wanted to see her”.
Queen Sālote’s show of endearment inspired Tongan punakes (composers) to create songs celebrating her.
One notable composition is “Hā’ele ki Pilitānia” (Royal Tour of Britain), which was written by the late punake Peni Tutu’ila, to honour her efforts.
The song’s lyrics reference cities and popular places in Britain as figures of speech, which were Tonganised by Tutu’ila, adding significant strength to the song’s message and cultural resonance.
This blending of languages highlights the connection between different cultures, enriching the narrative and making it relatable to a broader audience.
The song resonates with audiences even today, and it has been embraced by contemporary punakes and singers who have creatively rearranged it into various musical styles.
Ha’ele ki Pilitānia lyrics in Tongan and English
Verse One
Angiangi mai ‘a e Funga Siu Malaki
Ke fakaaʻu ‘a e ‘ofa ni ki he Lupe he Palasi
Si’i Lupe ‘o Tonga mānoa ‘i he kolope
‘O ‘autō ki Uinisā vāvālafo ‘anga e tupe
Verse Two
Angi taulua ‘a e Tonga Hihifo
‘O falala he Tāmesi ko e faiʻanga e fakauō
Fio ai e kakala ko e tumuʻaki ‘o Moheofo
Ne ngangatu ‘i he loto ‘o tuʻula ‘i he taʻemangalo
Tau:
He laʻā hopo ‘o Felenite
Huhulu ‘i Polata’ane
He palofisai kuo movete
Fakama’u ‘o e talite
Verse Three
‘Ofa ‘i he teke
Si’i langi ‘o Tonga
He ‘oku tu’u ko e koma
Ka kuo hoko ‘o ‘iloa
Verse Four
Ne sikahema
ma’ili ‘o ne angiangi
‘O ue‘ia e kakala
he mausa ‘o Pakingihami
Verse Five
Kapa ai siʻi lupe
he naite ‘o e ‘Otu Felenite
He ‘oku taku he fetau
langimaʻa ‘o Palataisi
Hā’ele ki Pilitānia English version
Verse One
Let the Funga Siumalaki wind blows by
So that it could convey my love to the Dove at the Palace
The Dove of Tonga, which flew over the globe
Arriving at Windsor for the celebration
Verse Two
The southwest wind blows doubly
Leaning on the Thames where the anniversary takes place
The top of the Moheofo clan is there
An arrival that is so unforgettable
Chorus:
The Sun of the Friendly Islands rises
And shines in Britain
What has been prophesied difficult is now made easy
And it has been embodied in a treaty
Verse Three
Love the support we have
To promote Tonga to the utmost
It appears on the world map as a comma
But it has now become well-known
Verse Four
The wind veered
Passed by and blows
It touches the fragrant flower
That emits a pleasant smell at Barkingham
Verse Five
The Dove is flapping its wings there
The Knight of the Friendly Islands
She is acknowledged for challenging the force of nature
Just like a clear sky in Paradise
