George Tupou II
| Siaosi Tupou II | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| King of Tonga | |
| Reign | 18 February 1893 – 17 July 1918 |
| Coronation | 17 July 1893, Nukuʻalofa |
| Predecessor | Siaosi Tupou I |
| Successor | Sālote Tupou III |
| Born |
18 June 1874 Neiafu, Tonga |
| Died | 5 April 1918 (aged 43) Tonga |
| Burial | Malaʻekula |
| Spouse |
Lavinia Veiongo ʻAnaseini Takipō |
| Issue |
Sālote Mafile‘o Pilolevu ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonelua ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku |
| House | Tupou |
| Father | Tuʻi Pelehake (Fatafehi Toutaitokotaha) |
| Mother | ʻElisiva Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku |
| Religion | Free Church of Tonga |
Siaosi Tupou II, King of Tonga (George Tupou II in English; 18 June 1874 – 5 April 1918) was the King of Tonga from 18 February 1893 until his death. He was officially crowned at Nukuʻalofa, on 17 March 1893. He was also the 20th Tuʻi Kanokupolu.
Siaosi Tupou II was the son of Prince Tuʻi Pelehake (Fatafehi Toutaitokotaha) also Prime Minister of Tonga in 1905), whose mother Sālote Pilolevu was a daughter of Tāufaʻāhau Tupou I, and he was the son of Fusipala Taukiʻonetuku, a daughter of Tēvita ʻUnga who was a son of Tāufaʻāhau Tupou I again: George Tupou I that is, the founder of the united Tongan kingdom. Tupou II's reign was troubled by government corruption and inefficiency. The Tongan Parliament in 1900 was suspicious of the King's governing and had his accounts audited several times, finding discrepancies worth thousands of pounds. The expatriate community in Tonga called for its annexation to New Zealand. Still he was a gentle person, a doting father to his daughter Sālote. However, before he was married to Lavinia, he had an intimate relationship with Margaret Cocker, an English missionary, which resulted in two children, Uaia and Ana Fakalelu kihe fana. These two children were kept a secret due to the implications of the King having relations with a commoner from England. Uaia continued to live in the palace while his sister Ana was entrusted into the care of a chieftain of Uiha Malupo (Takapautolo). He shared his common love of writing of songs and poems with his earlier Hawaiʻian colleague Kalakaua. He is also known for his push to construct cement water tanks (vaisima) everywhere in Tonga, providing clean water to the people, which was a major boost to public health.
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