Kōrero: Pacific Islands and New Zealand

Tonga’s King George Tupou II, seen here on his way to open the Tongan Parliament in Nuku'alofa in 1900, was the great-grandson of George Tupou I, who established the Tongan royal line in the 1840s. A primary aim of the first king was preventing Tonga from being taken over by outsiders, and in this he was notably successful. King George Tupou II signed a Treaty of Friendship and Protection with Britain in 1900. The treaty allowed Britain to handle Tonga’s foreign affairs and have a voice in the kingdom's finances. Tonga remained independent to a greater extent than any other Pacific Island nation.