It is officially assigned to the Tongan Maritime Force; division of the Tonga Defence Services.

Under Sālote Tupou III, the yacht's earlier predecessor was the 108-ton schooner Hifofua,[2] which was sold in Fiji in the early 1970s after the death of the queen.

[3] In the late 1980s, Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV bought a new yacht, and in honor of Salote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita, it was named Titilupe.

It is equipped with a separate two-berth cabin in the bow, as well as a wardroom with a dining area that can be transformed into two extra beds.

The yacht was used by Koen van Exel mainly for fishing, but as his health declined, it was used as an auxiliary patrol craft, and hydrographic ship.