UNDER a heavy air of grief at the State House yesterday, His Majesty King Tupou VI paused in silent tribute before the casket of the late former president, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, sharing in a moment that captured the depth of loss felt across Fiji and the Pacific.
Accompanied by members of the Tongan Royal family, including Princess Salote Mafile’o Pilolevu, the King’s visit unfolded in an atmosphere thick with emotion.
Grieving relatives and close associates gathered in quiet unity, their presence reflecting both personal grief and national mourning as His Majesty stood in stillness before the casket.
The solemn mood of the occasion was evident as the King later met with members of the Nailatikau family, including the late former president’s son, Ratu Kamisese Vuna Nailatikau, and daughter Adi Litia Cakobau, sharing a moment of collective sorrow.
Though brief, the visit carried profound emotional weight, honouring a statesman whose legacy of leadership and service left a lasting imprint on Fiji and the wider Pacific region.
A single moment, rich with symbolism, cast a spotlight on the deep-rooted bonds between Fiji and Tonga, ties woven not just through diplomacy, but through bloodlines that reach back to the era of King George Tupou II.
At the heart of this connection stands the late former president Ratu Epeli, whose lineage tells a story of two nations intertwined.
He is the son of Ratu Sir Edward Tuivanuavou Cakobau, the son of King George Tupou II and Adi Litia Cakobau, a union that fused Tongan royalty with Fijian chiefly heritage.
In that instant, history was not just remembered, it was vividly alive, echoing through generations and reaffirming a shared legacy that continues to bind the two Pacific nations.
