List of monarchs of Tahiti

This is a list of monarchs of Tahiti, all of which belonged to the Pōmare dynasty. They carried the title Ari'i rahi.

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Monarchs of Tahiti

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Pōmare I Vai raʻa toa Taina Pōmare I	c. 1753 – 3 September 1803 (aged c. 49–50)	1788	3 September 1803	De facto paramount ruler from 1768, first as ariʻi, then as regent for Pōmare II from his birth.	Pōmare
Pōmare II Tū Tū-nui-ʻēʻa-i-te-atua Pōmare II	c. 1782 – 7 December 1821 (aged c. 38–39)	3 September 1803	7 December 1821	Son of Pōmare I. Succeeded Pōmare I at birth as ari'i. Exiled to Mo'orea on 22 December 1808. Reclaimed throne on 15 November 1815 after the Battle of Te Feipī.	Pōmare
Pōmare III Teriʻi tariʻa Pōmare III	(1820-06-25)25 June 1820 – 8 January 1827(1827-01-08) (aged 6)	7 December 1821	8 January 1827	Son of Pōmare II.	Pōmare
Council of Regency		7 December 1821	8 January 1827	Regents for Pōmare III (per Pōmare II's request): Queen Teriʻitoʻoterai Tere-moe-moe Queen Teriʻitaria Ariʻipaea Vahine Five of the principal chiefs of Tahiti
Pōmare IV ʻAimata Pōmare IV Vahine	(1813-02-28)28 February 1813 – 17 September 1877(1877-09-17) (aged 64)	11 January 1827	17 September 1877	Daughter of Pōmare II. Longest reigning ruler of Tahiti, ruled under French protectorate from 9 September 1842.	Pōmare
Pōmare V Ariʻi aue Pōmare V	(1839-11-03)3 November 1839 – 12 June 1891(1891-06-12) (aged 51)	17 September 1877	30 December 1880	Son of Pōmare IV. Last King of Tahiti, France annexed Tahiti and its dependencies on 29 June 1880.	Pōmare

Family tree

Main article: Pōmare dynasty

v t e Pōmare family tree
Ta'aroa Manahune Tetuaehuri i Taiarapu Teu Ariʻi of Pare-Arue Ariʻi of the Porionuʻu Tetupaia i Hauiri of the Tamatoa Dynasty of Raiatea Teihotu i Ahurai Ari'i of Moʻorea, Brother of Purea Terereatua (Auo) Metua'aro (Mahau) Ariʻi of Mo'orea and Vaiari Itia Pōmare I King of Tahiti and Moʻorea Paiti Ariʻi of Hapaiano Tetuanui Tarovahine Wife of Pōmare II Teri'itaria Ari'ipaea Queen of Huahine and Maʻiao Pōmare II King of Tahiti and Moʻorea Teri'ito'oterai Teremoemoe Teri'inavahoroa Vahine Teri'inavahoroa Tane, Vehiatua Ariʻi of Taiarapu Terano Vahine Pōmare III King of Tahiti and Moʻorea Teinaiti Ari'ifa'aite Pōmare IV Queen of Tahiti and Moʻorea Tapoa II King of Bora Bora of the Tapoa Dynasty of Bora Bora Teuhe Queen of Huahine of the Teurura'i Dynasty of Huahine Pōmare V King of Tahiti and Moʻorea Marau Ari'iaue Teri'itua Tuavira "Prince Joinville" Ariʻi of Hitiaʻa Isabelle Vahinetua Shaw Tamatoa V King of Raiatea and Tahaʻa Moe a Mai Teri'imaevarua II Queen of Bora Bora Temauiari'i a Mai Teri'itapunui Punuari'i Ariʻi of Mahina Teri'inavahoroa a Mai Teriʻihinoiatua Pōmare Ariʻi of Hitiaʻa Teri'imaevarua III Queen of Bora Bora
Notes: Descending dotted lines denote adoptions. References Henry, Teuira; Orsmond, John Muggridge (1928). Ancient Tahiti. Vol. 48. Honolulu: Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum. pp. 247–272. OCLC 3049679. Newbury, Colin W.; Darling, Adam J. (December 1967). "Te Hau Pahu Rahi: Pomare II and the Concept of Interisland Government in Eastern Polynesia". The Journal of the Polynesian Society. 76 (4). Wellington: The Polynesian Society: 477–514. JSTOR 20704508. OCLC 6015244633. Orsmond, John Muggridge; Smith, S. Percy (March 1893). "The Genealogy of the Pomare Family of Tahiti, from the Papers of the Rev. J. M. Orsmond. With Notes Thereon by S. Percy Smith". The Journal of the Polynesian Society. 2 (1). Wellington: The Polynesian Society: 25–43. JSTOR 20701269. OCLC 5544732839. Pomare, Tamatoa Brander; Pomare, Pomateao Salmon (15 August 1938). "The Pomares of Tahiti – Letter to the Editor". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. IX, no. 1. Sydney: Pacific Publications. p. 34. OCLC 780465500. Teissier, Raoul (1978). "Chefs et notables des Établissements Français de l'Océanie au temps du protectorat: 1842–1850". Bulletin de la Société des Études Océaniennes, Issue 202. Papeete: Société des Études Océaniennes. OCLC 9510786.

Current status

In 2006, Tauatomo Mairau claimed to be the heir to the Tahitian throne, and attempted to re-assert the status of the monarchy in court. His claims were not recognized by France.^[1][2] On 28 May 2009, Joinville Pōmare, an adopted member of the Pōmare family, declared himself King Pōmare XI, during a ceremony attended by descendants of leading chiefs but spurned by members of his own family. Other members of the family recognised his uncle, Léopold Pōmare, as heir to the throne.^[3]

He attempted to have royal trust lands returned to him and his family. The French government mortgaged the land after World War II, and in doing so violated the terms of the agreement signed with Pōmare V in 1880 which reserved control of the trust lands for the royal family of Tahiti. The banks may be in the process of freezing the assets, and Mairau sued to prevent native Tahitians from being evicted from his trust lands, and wished for them to retain their usage rights over the land.^[4][5]

See also

• Kingdom of Tahiti
• List of royal consorts of Tahiti
• List of monarchs of Huahine
• List of monarchs of Raiatea
• List of monarchs of Bora Bora
• List of colonial and departmental heads of French Polynesia
• President of French Polynesia