Transcript
KORO VAKA'UTA: Yes, the country marked the royal funeral with a special public holiday or day of national mourning but even before that the country had been preparing and taking part in traditional acts of respect. For example, over the weekend family clans, churches and businesses made presentations of traditional koloa, mats, handicraft, food and livestock to the palace as is customary respect in Tonga. On Tuesday Queen Mata'aho was brought back from Auckland via a Royal NZ Airforce Hercules and landed at Fua'amotu airport before being taken to the palace in Nuku'alofa some 20 kilometres away. The significance that is that along the entire journey school students, both primary and secondary, so five or six year olds up to 16, 17 year olds or whatever is the case, lined the roads leading to the palace, some having waited more than two or three hours and often in the rain. As the funeral cortege when past them they all bowed their heads in a mark of respect. The remarkable display was really just an example of the reverence that is shown towards Queen Mata'aho and indeed the whole royal family.
KOROI HAWKINS: So what happened once the Queen Mother's body arrived at the palace?
KV: Well a takipo or all-night royal vigil took place where churches were allocated an hour each throughout the night to pay homage to Queen Mata'aho through prayer and song while schools took turns to keep ceremonial fires burning outside until day break. Foreign dignitaries also paid their respects, including diplomatic heads and other heads like Fijian chief and former president Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, Samoa's Head of State Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, Samoan Deputy Prime Minister Fiame Mata'afa and the Maori king Kiingi Tuheitia. In the morning Queen Mata'aho's body was carried by hundreds of men to the royal tombs where she was finally laid to rest next to her late husband who of course is King Tupou IV.
KH: And now that Queen Mata'aho is buried?
KV: Well once it was announced the Queen Mother had died flags in the country were all flown at half mast. This will continue as part of 10 days of national mourning, where Tongans wear black and continue to pay respect to their beloved Queen Mata'aho. An extended mourning period like this is customary in Tonga but normally for a royal death the mourning period can be for up to 100 days. However one of Queen Mata'aho's two surviving children, Princess Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita has said that this has been decreased to ten days in this case because the family feel that is what the Queen Mother would have wanted and it will produce less emotional and economic stress for the people of the kingdom. The Royals, including son and reigning monarch King Tupou VI will continue their mourning for the entire 100 days.