Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe was born on 29 May 1926,[1] the eldest daughter of the Hon. Tevita Manu-’o-pangai, ‘Ahome’e, sometime Governor of Vava’u and Ha’apai and Minister for Police and his wife, Heuʻifanga Veikune, a great-granddaughter of the Tu'i Tonga.[1][3][4] She was also a great-great-granddaughter of Enele Maʻafu.[4]
Education
She was educated at St Joseph's Convent School, Nuku’alofa, and St Mary's College, in Auckland, New Zealand.[5]
The Queen Mother celebrated her 85th birthday in 2011 with a five-day celebration held in May.[3] The celebrations began with a garden party for more than one hundred Tongan women held at the home of the President of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga, Rev. Dr. ‘Ahio.[3] The Queen Mother attended a Roman Catholic mass at St. Mary's Cathedral in Ma'ufanga with King Siaosi Tupou V on 26 May 2011.[3] The Tongan Ministry of Education, Women Affairs and Culture held a student celebration for her birthday on 27 May, with primary school students from Pangai Lahi to Teufaiva Park, presenting the Queen Mother with birthday gifts.[3] A private party was held in Ha'avakatolo the next day, followed by a church service held at the Centennial Church on Sunday 29 May, and a luncheon at the Royal Palace in Nukuʻalofa.[3]
The Queen Mother embarked on a two-week trip to the U.S. state of Utah in July and August 2011.[7] Specifically, the Queen Mother came to visit the Tongan United Methodist Church in West Valley City, Utah, whose congregation had raised approximately $500,000 in less than a year to pay off the mortgage on the building.[7] The Mayor of West Valley City, Michael K. Winder, awarded the Queen Mother the key to the city on July 27, 2011.[7] She also met with Utah GovernorGary Herbert the next day.[7]
^"DOUBLE WEDDING OF TONGAN PRINCES". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. XVII, no. 12. 18 July 1947. p. 13. Retrieved 18 January 2022 – via National Library of Australia.