Order of King George Tupou I Order of King George Tupou I The Royal Order of King George Tupou I is a knighthood order of the Kingdom of Tonga. The Order was established between 1876–1890 by King George Tupou I as a general reward for meritorious services to the kingdom. The Order consists of three classes: In 2008 King George Tupou V declared the classes of Knight Commander and Commander obsolete. The "Star" is a 90mm 8-pointed silver, silver-gilt & enamel faceted Star with four silver Tongan crowns on the main points, (in the North, South, East & West). The white enamel central medallion has the
George Tupou V 1 August 2008, the King announced that he would relinquish most of his power and be guided by his Prime Minister's recommendations on most matters. The Prime Minister would also be in charge of day-to-day affairs. Tupou V would still have the powers to appoint judges and commute prison sentences. The King also sold off lucrative business interests as part of the announcement. In addition, the King announced that there would be parliamentary reform and elections in 2010. Fielakepa, the spokesman for the royal palace, said, "The Sovereign of the only Polynesian kingdom ... is voluntarily surrendering his powers to