The king of the Pacific island nation of Tonga, Tupou VI, has been formally crowned, more than three years after ascending to the throne
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Foreign royals, including the Crown Prince of Japan, attended the coronation ceremony in the capital, Nuku'alofa
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A retired Australian minister performed the crowning as it is taboo for Tongans to touch their king's head
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Former King George Tupou V died in March 2012
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The coronation was the culmination of a week of festivities that included a traditional drinking rite, street parties and feasts



The ceremony, performed by 78-year-old retired Methodist minister D'Arcy Wood, drew thousands of Tongans and tourists
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As well as Crown Prince Naruhito, the European royals Prince Georg von Habsburg of Hungary and Princess Marie-Therese von Hohenberg of Austria attended
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Tupou VI, 55, ascended to the throne after his bachelor brother died
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Tonga gained its independence from Britain in 1970 but the monarchy stretches back 1,000 years.
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