A livestream of the Tatakamotonga Free Wesleyan Church celebrations captured the moment a woman kissed Princess Pilolevu Tuita during a lakalaka performance before a police officer intervened and escorted her away.
The celebrations, marking the opening of the new church building for Tatakamotonga 1’s Toetuʻu 2 congregation, were part of the Free Wesleyan Church’s nationwide commemorations of the 200th anniversary of the establishment of Christianity in Tonga in 1826.
The 17-second livestream video capturing the incident shows the woman apparently emerging from the audience, kissing Princess Pilolevu before sitting and then lying at the Princess’s feet between two women who were already seated there.
Moments later, a female police officer appeared in the video, approached the woman and spoke with her before escorting her away.
The circumstances following the woman’s removal from the venue remain unclear.
However, it is evident that when incidents such as this involve members of the royal family, police or military personnel assigned to their security are required to respond and manage the situation at the scene.
There are established cultural and ceremonial protocols governing the manner in which members of the public may express their appreciation.
Under these customs, direct physical contact with members of the royal family during public performances is generally not permitted and would be considered inconsistent with accepted protocol.
In a speech during the celebrations, the holder of the Tatakamotonga estate, Prince Tungi Mailefihi, said the opening of the new church had been deliberately timed to coincide with the bicentenary celebrations of Christianity in Tonga.
He said this history was marked by the arrival of Wesleyan Methodist missionary Walter Lawry in 1822, who anchored his ship at Fuʻipā Beach in Tatakamotonga in an effort to introduce the faith, although his stay was brief before he departed.
