Tongan king crowned in elaborate ceremony

George Tupou V was crowned as the 23rd king of Tonga on Friday in an elaborate ceremony that many expect will usher in a new, more democratic era for the South Pacific nation.

The Christian ceremony was the culmination of almost a week of festivities that included roast pig feasts, tribal rites and British-style pomp. The coronation was the first in Tonga since 1967 when George V's father, the late King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, ascended to the throne.

Days before his coronation, George V announced political reforms that will strip from the monarch most of the near-absolute powers that his family has held for generations. He also said he had shed his stake in national businesses.

The moves reflect growing demands for more democratic government in the almost feudal kingdom, where the royal family is generally revered but has also been caught up in money-losing scandals in recent years.

Friday's coronation "marks the opening of a new era in our journey as a nation - an era of political and economic reform and increased prosperity," Prime Minister Fred Sevele told guests.

The king rode in a black limousine to the capital's Centenary Church through streets covered by fine hand-woven mats and lined with crowds of his subjects. Buildings, lamp posts and trees were festooned with garlands, balloons, streamers and banners.

He sat on a golden throne in the church in front of 1,000 guests as Archbishop of Polynesia Jabez Bryce proclaimed he had been "anointed, blessed and consecrated" as king of the South Pacific nation. The archbishop called on the king to rule "wisely, justly and truly."

A large gold crown was placed on the king's head and a 300-member choir sang hymns. The king, in crisp white stockings and shining black shoes, left the church carrying a gold scepter and wrapped in a heavy black cloak despite the tropical heat, with two boys in uniform carrying its train.

A sumptuous royal luncheon followed along with traditional dancing, a fireworks display and an open-air royal charity concert. There were three separate coronation balls - one for guests listed as "VVIPs" (very, very important persons), one for "VIPs" and a third for regular guests.

The government on Thursday defended the more than $2.5 million price the impoverished nation will pay for the celebrations, saying the money spent by the thousands of tourists the event attracted will more than make up for it.

The costs include $418,000 for royal robes made in London, $37,000 for the newly minted scepter - similar to that of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II - and 1,000 new chairs embossed in gold lettering with the monogram GVT.

More than 5,000 people, from official guests to Tongans living overseas, flocked to the archipelago nation for the crowning.

Royalty in attendance included Japan's Crown Prince Naruhito, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, New Zealand's Maori King Tuheitia and Britain's Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, representing Queen Elizabeth II.

Heads of state and prime ministers of at least nine Pacific Islands nations also attended.

Since his father died in 2006, George V has been trying to shed his reputation as a rich eccentric playboy with a taste for elaborate uniforms, colonial-era pith helmets and monocles.

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said the coronation came "at an important juncture" in the country's political growth.

A new law expected to be passed next year "to enable Tonga to make the next step in its democratic transition is important for Tonga and a wonderful thing for the Pacific," she told reporters ahead of the ceremony.

The king officially became the 23rd head of Tonga's Tu'i Kanokupolu line of chiefs on Wednesday in a traditional Tongan ceremony. The line dates back to the 17th century.

The celebrations will continue next week, when George V tours the five outer island groups in the nation of 101,000 people to join feasting, singing and dancing in villages.