It was Saturday, 4th July 2015. A day of history for The Monarchy. A day when the world woke up to news and exclusive pictures of The Coronation of HM Tupou VI, King & Tu'i Kanokupolu of Tonga, while spare reports of a distant European country's banking crisis remained on the sidelines. Well, that would be an ideal picture if Tonga was on the pantheon of global Monarchies. Or at least, a distinguished Sovereign state, like Spain, which Monarchy's restoration on 22 November 1975 created global headlines. And while on the 4 July 2015 - on the eve of the Greece's referednum on EU package - those headlines were reversed; this post is dedicated to certain anniversaries of both forementioned Kingdoms this past year. On November 4, its National Day, The Kingdom of Tonga celebrated the Sesquicentennial (150 years) of its Constitution (adopted by King George Tupou I in 1875), the oldest of its kind in Oceania. The Kingdom of Spain, meanwhile, commemorated the 50th anniversary from the restoration of The Crown & civilian government (following the Enthronement of King Juan Carlos I) in several ceremonies on Friday, 21 November 2025. Those milestones are about Monarchies (institutions), rather than monarchs (persons).
Let's begin with The Kingdom of Tonga, the only Sovereign country in the Pacific that was never collonized. Its Inaugural King, Tāufaʻāhau I, led unification wars as Tu'i Kanokupolu (local Chief) from 1845, prevailing over 171 Polynesian islands of the Polynesian archipelago and forging treaties with the interested powers of the time (British, French & German Empires, and The US). Driven by enlightenment ideas of natural rights, and Christian teachings of (John Wesley's) Methodism (against slavery, usury and exploitation), Tāufaʻāhau drafted the first constitution for his polynesian kingdom, emancipating the tofi'a (semi-autonomous territories) from the Eiki (nobles)' absolute control in 1862. The Constitution of Tonga gave birth to the first Codified Laws in the Pacific, enshrining the Bill of Rights (equal to all God's men), defining the form of government as Constitutional Monarchy, and establishing the revolutionary for the time freedoms of speech, press, religion, assembly, protection of arbitrary arrest & slavery. Formally enacted on 4 November 1875, the day Tāufaʻāhau was crowned with his Christian name as King George Tupou I; it has been celebrated ever since, with Tonga becoming fully independent (from British protection) in 1970.
In 2025, five days of celebrations for the 150th anniversary of The Constitution of Tonga in (capital) Nuku'alofa were announced, from October 31 to November 4. They also coincided with the tenth Coronation anniversary of King Tupou VI (George Tupou I's current successor) and with the 55th anniversary of The Kingdoms diplomatic relations with Australia & NZ. They began with The Royal Prayer festival at Queen Sālote (Tupou III) memorial hall with The King & Queen (Nanasipau'u) in attendance. The first two days were dedicated to the promotion of health & sport, while on November 2, a service of Thanksgiving & Remembrance was held at the Free Wesleyan (Centenary) Church of Tonga with Their Majesties joined by The Crown Prince (Tupoutu'a 'Ulukalala) Couple & other Royal Family members. Tuesday, November 4 coined to the previous, Constitution Day, to celebrate Culture and Traditions. The entire Royal Family joined The King for the Groundbreaking of the new Legislative Assembly Building (which recently elected The Crown Princess' brother, Lord Fakafanua, as Prime Minister), The Wreath Laying Ceremony at Royal Tombs & Royal Luncheon (where Royal grandchildren participated in sermon reading - Prince Tāufa'ahau Manumataongo, 12, second in line to the throne - & a traditional dance - by Princess Halaevalu Mata'aho, 11). The King's elder sister, Princess Royal Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita, was alongside the delegations right until the end of the Traditional Royal Celebrations.
In case of Spain, though, the 50th anniversary from the Monarchy's Restoration was marked in a less public moods, amid the divisive climax of current institutional atmosphere & The Crown's Reputation. On 21 November 2025 (the day after dictator Franco's 50th death anniversary), a special ceremony was held at Madrid's Royal Palace, where the Color of The Distinguished Order of Golden Fleece (Toison de Oro) was awarded by HM King Felipe VI. The four distinguished civil servants receiving it were: (the surviving founding fathers of 1978 Constitution) Miquel Roca & Miguel Herrero de Minon, former Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez & HM Queen Sofia - the first (former) Queen Consort of Spain to be honored with this chivalry order. By movingly bestowing it to his mother, The King remarked of a three generation circle's close, as he had also awarded his Hereditary daughter, HRH Leonor, The Princess of Asturias with the order in 2018 (its only two royal bestowals since his accession in 2014). The King and Queen (Letizia) were then joined by their daughters (Princess Leonor & Infanta Sofia) at The Congress of Deputies for its discussion, titled: "50 years later: The Crown and the Transition to Democracy".
King Juan Carlos (emeritus since 2014) was excluded from both official events, & the commemorative post stamps, issued by The Spanish post office Correos as part of the milestone's historic memory, only featuring his son King Felipe & granddaughter Princess Leonor. In his memoirs book, "reconciliation", released in France in early November & Spain in early December, the former Monarch tries to defend his legacy in restoring democracy & civilian rule in Spain after succeeding Francisco Franco (who ruled Spain from 1939 to 1975), whose intelligence he appreciated. He also admitts the accidental killing of his younger brother Infante Alfonso (1941-1956) by gunshot, and regrets of his long-term affair with Danish-German socialite Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn, but avoids to talk much about numerous tax fraud scandals & offshore investments - which triggered his self-exile in Abu Dhabi since 2020 to avoid scrutiny in Spain. The 87-year-old Juan Carlos also released a statement (Nov. 20) & video address (Dec. 1) to the Spanish public, reevaluating his reputation & urging young & old people alike to support his son. On his 50th anniversary of proclamation (22 November 2025) he was invited to El Pardo palace for a private lunch, attended by The entire Spanish Royal Family (& royal relatives), ending the poignant weekend for the Spanish monarchy. The Royal House of Spain did not officially comment the former King's address, but its communication sources said it was neither appropriate nor necessary.
Juan Carlos I was proclaimed King of Spain in a solemn ceremony at The Palace of The Cortes in Madrid, two days after the death of Franco, restoring the House of Bournon to the Spanish Throne (The Monarchy having been abolished from 1931). His father, Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, was the legal claimant to succeed his father, King Alfonso XIII, following his death in exile, but was bypassed by Franco, who had re-established of The Kingdom of Spain in 1947, and chosen Juan Carlos as the future Monarch in 1969. Juan Carlos recalls that on his deathbed in 1975, Franco asked him one thing: to "keep the country united". This gave him the opportunity to support democratic reforms and walk away from the corporational structure of Francoist Spain, haulting an attempted coup d'etat in 1981. In his memoirs, however, Juan Carlos complains that he could "never enjoy (that) freedom for myself". He feels that his son - in whose favor he abdicated in 2014, two years after his public image was tarnished due to a lavish safari in Botswana - "has turned his back on me out of duty", and only hopes that Spain will properly honor him after the end of his life - of which the early and later years are marked by exile.
The King of Spain is currently forging his institutional role as head of state against the odds of crises and low popularity the Monarchy endured in the final years of his predecessor's reign. Meanwhile, The King of Tonga enjoys high popularity nonwithstanding his extended political powers, in accordance to the (150-year-old) constitution. His late brother, George Tupou V (r. 2006-2012), ceded most of his executive powers to The Prime Minister in 2008, retaining the right to appoint Prime Ministers and dismiss the elected Parliament in cases of deadlock. 'Aho'eitu 'Unuaki'otonga Tuku'aho (future Tupou VI) was also Prime Minister of Tonga (2000-6), which would be unthinkable for The King or any member of the Royal Family of Spain long before its Constitutional Monarchy. Spain last month celebrated half-a-century from a hallmark that made a constitutional status quo possible with an undoubted effort by its former King (who swore his oath to the Fundamental Laws of The Realm and Principles of (Francoist) National Movement; both of which were then abolished). While Tonga celebrated the Sesquicentennial of its Codified Laws, which kept the nation free & Sovereign even as a British protectorate (from 1900 to 1970). Both milestones commemorated a turning point in the history of the respective countries. In both cases, The Monarchy played a certain role, as did The Monarch at the time. In case of Spain, The Monarch was bypassed in favor of The Institution & democratic status quo. In Tonga, the only other country where The King is Crowned in British style, he was a reference point.
Videos:
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_monarchs_of_Tonga
https://matangitonga.to/2025/05/01/big-celebration-plan-150th-anniversary-tonga-constitution
https://royalcentral.co.uk/royal-news/queen-sofia-spain-2-215318/
https://tongaindependent.com/celebrating-the-constitutions-150th-anniversary/
https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/spain/spain-juan-carlos-215310/
https://matangitonga.to/2025/10/30/celebrations-150th-anniversary-tonga-constitution-start-tomorrow
https://royalcentral.co.uk/europe/spain/princess-leonor-stamps-215066/
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_funeral_of_Francisco_Franco
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_royal_family
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