Editor,

I believe the British Monarchy impresses its loyal Brits and their descendants (in UK, Canada, NZ, Australia) the same way the Tongan Royalty influences its loyal Tongans living in Tonga, the US, NZ, and Australia.

The newly US-released (Dec. 2010) major motion picture drama,"The King's Speech," is a short biographical focus on the life of the late King George VI. Known as Prince Albert, Duke of York, his nervousness in public speaking was an embarrassment that caused long pauses during important public speeches.

He was not considered fit to be king, but two life-size challenges were forced upon him: (1) Elder brother Prince David renounced the throne after taking the title King Edward VIII; and (2) World War II was inevitable after Hitler invaded Poland.

Does King Do Whatever He Wants?

Meanwhile, Prince Albert had been practicing speech training with an Australian un-credentialed therapist with slow progress. But Albert did not give up on the training. And before their father King George V died, His Majesty tried coaching Albert to do radio speeches but to no avail.

Albert whined aloud that his king-to-be brother David got away with doing whatever he pleases. George V asked, "Does the king do whatever he wants to do?" Then He answered His own question: "No, the king should do whatever the people expects Him to do."

People's Expectations of Their King

I reflected on my expectations of our King George Tupou V recently. With all due respects, He seems to do a better job donning British-styled military and high-class fashion than he does with His Tongan traditional attires in public. But we are hoping for the day that He will make us all feel proud to be Tongans.

When Prince Albert took the title King George VI, after his brother Edward VIII stepped down from the throne, He needed to unite England and the Allies to declare war on Hitler and Germany. The people anticipated that He makes that speech to inspire them to fight the evil empire of Nazism.

Tonga faces many challenges these days. The new political democratic transition is learning to crawl. Nuku'alofa is healing from the 2006 riots. The economy is not in the best of shapes. And I recalled each time I witnessed the late Queen Salote Tupou III and King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV attired in traditional ta'ovala reserved for royalties, they ignited a special pride feeling in me of being proud to be a Tongan.

Sione Akemeihakau Mokofisi

samokofisi [at] email [dot] phoenix [dot] edu ( samokofisi [at] email [dot] phoenix [dot] edu)