King of Tonga Visits National Memorial Arboretum

The King of Tonga paid a visit to the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire today to honour 5 of his country's soldiers who are serving in the British Army. They were each awarded military honours for their service through the Commonwealth. It’s not every day that you meet royalty, but today in Staffordshire the King of Tonga was in town. Visiting the National Memorial Arboretum King George Tupou V arrived in a golf buggy. There was no fanfare or parade, it was an understated entrance, but it was a significant one for 5 soldiers in particular. Lined up by the memorial it was a moment of pride for the Tongans as their king handed out military service medals for their contribution to the British Forces. I’m proud to be honest, to be part of the British Army, the best army in the world. I joined the Army because I can see the world, travel round, they pay me, they look after me, they look after my family as well. It’s a great honour. It means everything to me becuase I never thought that I would have something like this, to meet my King, to see him face to face and talk to him as well. These men are all serving in the Army, just some of the thousands from the Commonwealth that are part of our Forces. Some have already served in Iraq, and some are about to head to Afghanistan. Serving so far away from home none of them ever thought they would meet their king, an honour that couldn’t be missed, even for a honeymoon. I got married on Saturday, and I was supposed to go on honeymoon, but because I’m going to meet the king only once, I don’t know when I’m going to meet the King again, it’s very important. So I had to cancel everything so I could come and meet the King. There were just five medals handed out today, but in total Tonga has seven soldiers serving in the British Army, the other two are away on deployment. For those who could make it here today it was about recognising their service and the contribution made by other countries in the Commonwealth. It’s thought that up to 11% of the Forces is made up by members of Commonwealth countries, their sacrifice remembered here at the Arboretum. The King was the first foreign head of state to visit the site, pledging to support plans for an expansion project. It’s a significant contribution, but when you think that in Tonga there’s only about 110,000 people in all, to have 7 or 8 of them serving here is really quite a large percentage. For the soldiers today was a moment to be shared and enjoyed. Some may have to wait for the photographs to reach home, but for others with family here it was certainly a moment to treasure. Carla Prater, BFBS Reports, Staffordshire.