A royal wedding was held today in Tonga. The crown prince, Prince Tuku’aho, is the oldest son of the king. He married his second cousin, Princess Sinaitakala, who is a teacher. Queen Salote was the great-grandmother of both the bride and groom. This was an arranged marriage because one day he will be king and his wife must be from the royal family so that their children have royal blood. There were only nine young single women in the royal family. However, couple seemed very happy today. The 2,500 guests looked very happy too. Hundreds of local people came to watch.
The wedding was postponed from May until today because it was too soon after the death of the previous king. Listen to March 26th 2012 to hear about the king’s unexpected death.
The cost of the wedding was a worry for the government because Tonga has financial problems. New Zealand gives Tonga $41m in aid each year. Usually the government pays for a royal wedding; however, the king has his own money and he paid for it this time. Today is a national holiday. Celebrations will continue until Sunday.
Questions
• Is there a biological risk for the children of second cousins?
• Do you think arranged marriages are usually more successful than love marriages? Give reasons for your answer.
• Who should pay for a royal wedding?