Monarch Elizabeth II as the reigning constitutional monarch. Tonga is the only remaining sovereign kingdom in Oceania. It has had a monarch since the 10th century and became a constitutional monarchy in 1875. In 2008, King George Tupou V relinquished most of the powers of the monarchy and the position is now largely ceremonial. In New Zealand the position of Māori King was established in 1858. The role is largely cultural and ceremonial, and has no legal power. Uvea, Alo and Sigave in the French territory of Wallis and Futuna have non-sovereign elective monarchs. The usage and meaning of a monarch's
Taliai Tupou have induced him to finally and publicly accept the Christian faith in 1849. From this point forward Christianity gradually replaced the old religion and gained hold in Lau and the rest of Fiji. David Cargill describes Taliai Tupou in his journals as a “however reluctant, tributary monarch”. As he did not have the reserves of manpower like the Tui Cakau or Vunivalu of Bau he could never risk confrontation with his adversaries and the alternative was to maintain friendly relations over as wide a field as possible. In this sense he can he stated as an astute diplomat, having somewhat