Lady Alaileula Tuku‘aho, the widowed daughter-in-law of the King, left Tonga suddenly last week, describing her departure as, "the end of that chapter of my life."

Lady Alaileula returned to Apia, Samoa, on Tuesday 20 December with Hon. 'Etani Tuku'aho, the youngest of her four children with the late Lord Ma'atu, the second son of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV.

Speaking from Apia this morning, Lady Alaileula, said calmly that she did not want to comment on the events surrounding her hasty departure. "I don't really want to talk about what happened - I have left Tonga and that is the end of that chapter of my life," she said.

Kauvai

Lady Alaileula, a Samoan, had continued to live at the family's home, at the Royal Residence Kauvai, after her husband's sudden death on February 17, 2004.

Sources close to the Tongan Royal family in Nuku'alofa, confirmed that the Prince Regent, Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, on Monday December 19, had gone to Kauvai and after confronting Lady Alaileula over the killing of a cow on the property, told her she should be living at another royal residence, Tufumahina.

The sources claimed that Prince Lavaka, had told Lady Alaileula that he was going to take her to court for authorizing the killing of a cow, which belonged to the king.

The incident happened on the same day that the Prime Minister Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, became Prince Regent, after the King left Tonga to go to New Zealand for medical attention.

Lady Alaileula is a grand daughter of the Samoan chief, Malietoa Tanumafili II. She was the second wife of Ma'atu, who was made a Lord posthumously. They had three sons and one daughter: Hon. Sitiveni Polule'uligana Tanusia Ma'a Tonga, Hon. Salote Haim Hadessah Be Yardena 'Alinuanua; Hon. Fatafehi Sione Ikamafana Taanekinga 'o Tonga Tuita (who was adopted by Princess Pilolevu Tuita), and Hon. 'Etani Ha'amea Tupoulahi Tu'uakitau Ui Tu'alangi Tuku'aho.