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Home > Thousands line Tonga's airport route to honour King

Thousands line Tonga's airport route to honour King [1]

Nuku'alofa, Tonga

Wednesday, September 13, 2006 - 16:30.  Updated on Tuesday, December 10, 2013 - 20:19.

Photos by Mary Lyn Fonua

Hala Taufa'ahau, Nuku'alofa's main road in front of the Prime Minister's Office, crowds await the funeral procession.



Queen Salote College students line the driveway to the Tongan Royal Palace.

 


 

At Pangai Lahi, Nuku'alofa, awaiting the funeral procession.

 

Thousands of Tongans are lining the roads on Tongatapu as the funeral procession of the late King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV passes by on its way to the Royal Palace where he will lie in State for five days.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force C130 aircraft carrying the body of Tupou IV landed at Fua'amotu International Airport after 3 pm today.

Thousands of people gathered at the airport to welcome the king. The atmosphere was solemn and almost everyone was wearing black and funeral ta'ovala.

The funeral procession left the airport at 4.10pm following a prayer by the Royal Chaplain, Dr 'Alifeleti Mone.

School children along with thousands of Tongans are lining the side of the roads all the way from the airport to Royal Palace in Nuku'alofa, where hundreds of people began gathering on the main street of the capital after 3 p.m. today.

Miles of black and purple bunting decorates properties along the route and throughout Nuku'alofa today.


 


 


 


 








 


 


 


 


 


 

People [2]
Tonga [3]
Tongans [4]
King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV [5]
funeral [6]
Tongan Royal Family [7]
Royalty & Nobility [8]

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Source URL:https://matangitonga.to/2006/09/13/thousands-line-tongas-airport-route-honour-king

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[1] https://matangitonga.to/2006/09/13/thousands-line-tongas-airport-route-honour-king [2] https://matangitonga.to/tag/people?page=1 [3] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tonga?page=1 [4] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tongans?page=1 [5] https://matangitonga.to/tag/king-taufaahau-tupou-iv?page=1 [6] https://matangitonga.to/tag/funeral?page=1 [7] https://matangitonga.to/tag/tongan-royal-family?page=1 [8] https://matangitonga.to/topic/royalty-nobility-0?page=1