Queen Mamea

Queen Mamea (before – after 1896) was the name given to a ruler of Raiatea and Huahine in the Society Islands by English speaking European and American newspapers during the annexation of the Leeward Islands.

According to erroneous newspaper accounts, she ruled around 1,000 subjects and her reign began in the early to mid 1870s. In 1890 she successfully resisted an armed French annexation by withdrawing to the interior of her kingdom and waiting for the French to run out of supplies. Mamea repeated the tactics during a second invasion of 1896 and appealed to other foreign powers for assistance, including offering her kingdom as a state to the United States. She was captured in a surprise attack and granted the French control over her lands before being replaced by a new chief. Life summarized in newspaper accounts Early reign Mamea had been queen of Raiatea and Huahine in the Society Islands since the early to mid 1870s. She was described as the "handsomest woman in the South Seas" with strong features and hair that she styled upwards.

Mamea had around 1,000 subjects and was a cousin of Oscar Tomare, prince of the island of Bora Bora. Shortly thereafter Mamea was captured in a surprise attack and agreed to grant France control of the island, its shipping and permission to establish a coaling station. (~23,000 US Dollars in 2015)

By June 1896 Mamea's former subjects were flying the British flag and claiming to be under the protection of Queen Victoria. The French protested that the island was in their possession and brought the British consul from Papeete who advised the islanders that they were not permitted to use the flag. This was ignored and French forces shot down at least one flagstaff, but struggled to keep up with the islanders who simply raised more.