They are located southeast of Tahiti and south of the main Tuamotu atoll cluster and are rather isolated.

The Duke of Gloucester Islands include four atolls of relatively small size: Hereheretue (19°52′S 144°58′W / 19.867°S 144.967°W / -19.867; -144.967) is located to the northwest of the group of the other three atolls, which are located at 20°36′S 143°20′W / 20.600°S 143.333°W / -20.600; -143.333 and are uninhabited.

First sighting recorded by Europeans was by the Spanish expedition of Pedro Fernández de Quirós on 4 February 1606.

[2] They were renamed Duke of Gloucester Islands by the British explorer Philip Carteret, who visited them in 1767, in honour of Prince William, Duke of Gloucester.

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