Public holiday declared for Wednesday's royal funeral [1]
Monday, February 27, 2017 - 18:20
Flags throughout Tonga will be flown at half mast from tomorrow and throughout the 10 days of mourning observed by the Royal Family, while Wednesday is declared a special public holiday for the funeral of the late Queen Mother Halaevalu Mata’aho.
Tonga’s Cabinet approved the special public holiday on 1 March 2017, to be observed nationally.
Cabinet also declared that all flags throughout the Kingdom shall be flown at half-mast starting Tuesday. The royal funeral cortege is expected to arrive tomorrow afternoon at Fua’amotu International Airport on a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules.
The Queen Mother will be laid to rest at the Royal Tombs, Mala'ekula on Wednesday 1 March, 2017.