Little woman with a big responsibility in Tonga

Olivia Ulukilupetea Mafileo, with granddaughter Bianni Folau. Picture / Alan Gibson

NUKU'ALOFA - She is the shortest and oldest Tongan woman on the grounds of the Royal Palace in Nuku'alofa, but the Hon Olivia Ulukilupetea Mafileo is the one person who everyone looks up to.

Descended from Tonga's nobility and related to both sides of the royal family, Mrs Mafileo has been calling the shots when it comes to the finer points of protocol in the preparations for the funeral today of King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV.

The 99-year-old also has a special privilege of being one of very few Tongans to have lived during the reigns of three Kings and one Queen of Tonga.

She was born not long after the start of last century under the rule of King Siaosi (George) Tupou II (1874-1918).

He was followed by Queen Salote Tupou III (1918-1965), King Siaosi Taufa'ahau Tupou IV and now his successor King Siaosi Tupou V.

Mrs Mafileo can remember the funeral of King Tupou II where the government school formed a guard of honour from the palace to the royal tombs.

Each night hurricane lamps were lit around the palace.

At the time her father's brother, the Hon Tuivakano Polutele, was the Prime Minister.

She giggles and talks in Tongan about the people's love for their kings.

Mrs Mafileo's father, the Hon Tuivakano, was the noble of four villages and was also in government like his four other brothers.

Dedicated to her causes, Mrs Mafileo still makes regular trips to the bank from her Kolomotua home in central Nuku'alofa to deposit a few dollars in the accounts of various organisations, even though some of them have stopped functioning.

Diminutive but deceptively energetic, she has been at the palace daily as the complex arrangements are put in place to farewell the monarch who served his country for 41 years.

Her grey hair is pulled back in a single tight plait, and her eyes dart and peer through thick bifocal glasses while she animatedly gesticulates and speaks in rapid Tongan to those about her.

"Even the royal undertakers have to rely on her wisdom and instructions on what to do," said granddaughter Bianni Folau.

She has seven children, over 20 grandchildren and about the same number of great-grandchildren, with whom she likes to play video games on her PlayStation.

The family helped celebrate her 99th birthday in Tonga last month but is saving her big party for her 100th.

Mrs Mafileo has a pacemaker and is still spry for her age. She has travelled around the world and just this year visited Auckland four times to see relatives.