King George speaks six languages. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey
In his coronation week, King George Tupou V has defended his black London taxi, his spiked helmet and his Medici-styled villa on Tongatapu.
The King has in the past been mocked for his unusual outfits and taste for many things British but appears to want to put the
record straight before his monarchical role in Tongan society is formalised on Friday.
A flattering article on the King published this week on an official Tongan website, and authorised by the Lord Chamberlain, portrays a man who considers himself much misunderstood by the international media. Author Matt Wilson said the 60-year-old bachelor's abilities, erudition and foresight were often overlooked by overseas media.
"Many articles about him tend to be trivialised, sensationalised or stereotyped and marked by misinformation and error - the real man gets lost in the headlines."
The article said the King's London taxi was often played as a significant news angle. But "His Majesty simply says these vehicles appeal to him".
King George's "sartorial choices" had also become a disproportionate part of the royal media story. It should not be regarded as unusual that he might appear on state occasions in full military uniform, with spiked helmet, given he was commander-in-chief of the Tongan Defence Services. For his daily attire, the King often favoured an elegantly tailored tupenu, a skirt-like garment for Tongan men, complemented by a silken version of the traditional ta'ovala waist mat and black Chinese slippers.
The King's villa was smaller and less imposing than the mansion of Fiji's President.
The King read music, played the piano and double bass, and could converse in French and German with a smattering of Chinese and Japanese, and was able to write in Latin. King George often also made unscripted remarks in eloquent Tongan.
The article said that on a tour shortly after becoming sovereign, word went out that His Majesty did not wish gifts of money as he understood cash was often short in the villages and he preferred the people used what they had for their own needs.
