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H.M. Queen Liliʻuokalani

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Her Majesty Queen Liliʻuokalani was born on September 2, 1838.  Her mother was High Chiefess Keohokālole and her father was High Chief Kapaʻakea.  Liliʻuokalani was officially named eligible to the throne by His Majesty King Kamehameha III and was entered in the Chiefs' Children's School, she ascended to the throne on January 29, 1891 as the heir of her brother, His Majesty King David Kalākaua.

 

 Before Liliʻuokalani ascended the throne, she attended the Queens Jubilee for Queen Victoria of England along with her sister in-law, Consort Queen Kapiʻolani, the wife of her brother, King Kalākaua.

 

The Queen always believed in the birthright of Hawaiian Royalty as well as protecting and caring for her people, so she initiated a new constitution to replace the one her brother was forced to sign that restricted the powers of the monarchy. But this would eventually bring the Hawaiian kingdom to an end. Queen Liliuokalani was overthrown on January 17, 1893, by opposition of her new Constitution.

Queen Liliʻuokalani surrenders under this protest:

"I, Liliʻuokalani, by the Grace of God and under the Constitution of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen, do hereby solemnly protest against any and all acts done against myself and the Constitutional Government of the Hawaiian Kingdom by certain persons claiming to have established a Provisional Government of and for this Kingdom.

  That I yield to the superior force of the United States of America whose Minister Plenipotentiary, His Excellency John L. Stevens, has caused United States troops to be landed at Honolulu and declared that he would support the Provisional Government.

 

  Now to avoid any collision of armed forces, and perhaps the loss of life, I do this under protest and impelled by said force yield my authority until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo its actions of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands."

She was confined to her palace room as a prisoner and charged for conspiracy of treason. These allegations were started when her head military leader, Robert Kalanihiapo Wilcox and some 200 armed followers tried to re-instate the queen back to the throne, which unfortunately ended up being a failed attempt.  

 

Queen Liliʻuokalani composed over 100 songs such as the famous "Aloha Oe" and while the queen was under house arrest and confined to the cell in her palace room, she composed the song "Kuʻu Pua i Paoakalani" which tells the story of her flowers from her garden at Paoakalani. One of her loyal supporters used to bring her these flowers regularly while she was imprisoned in her palace. They were wrapped in newspaper so the queen could read the news outside of her palace cell. 

"Kuu Pua i Paoakalani"

E ka gentle breeze a pa mai nei 

Ho`ohäli`ali`a mai ana ia`u 

E ku`u sweet never fading flower 

I pua i ka uka o Paoakalani

 

Chorus  

`Ike mau i ka nani o nä pua 

O ka uka o Uluhaimalama 

`A`ole na`e ho`i e like 

Me ku`u pua i ka la`i o 

Paoakalani

 

Lahilahi kona ma hi`ona 

With softest eyes as black as jet 

Pink cheeks so delicate of hue 

I ulu i ka uka o Paoakalani

 

Nane `ia mai ana ku`u aloha 

E ka gentle breeze e waft mai nei 

O come to me k`au mea e li`a nei 

I ulu ika uka o Paoakalani

 

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Princess Elizabeth Keka'aniau La'anui 

O gentle breeze that waft to me 

Sweet, cherished memories of you 

Of my sweet never fading flower 

That blooms in the fields of Paoakalani

Chorus: 

I've often seen those 

beauteous flowers 

That grew at Uluhaimalama 

But none of those could be compared 

To my flower that

 blooms in the fields of 

Paoakalani

 

Her face is fair to behold 

With softest eyes as black as jet 

Pink cheeks so delicate of hue 

That blooms in the fields of Paoakalani 

 

Now name to me the one I love 

Gentle breezes passing by 

And bring to me that blossom fair 

That blooms in the fields of

Paoakalani

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H.R.H. Princess Kaʻiulani

On March 9, 1891, under an official proclamation, H.M. Queen Liliʻuokalani designated the heir to the throne to be her niece, H.R.H. Princess Kaʻiulani who was in England at the time being educated. 

 

Queen Liliʻuokalani later attempted to name her sister-in law's nephews, H.H. Prince David Kawānanakoa & H.H. Prince Jonah Kūhio Kalanianaʻole as heirs to the throne after Princess Kaʻiulani in her drafted 1893 Constitution, however, it was never approved and ratified by the legislature. The queen also never officially declared them by a proper Royal Proclamation or Decree as legal heirs to the throne.

 

In 1898, Her Majesty Queen Liliʻuokalani publicly acknowledged her cousin, Princess Elizabeth Kekaʻaniau's future rights and claim to the throne.​  Princess Elizabeth Kekaʻaniau was a cousin of Queen Liliʻuokalani and bridesmaid for the queen when she married the Honorable John Dominis on September 16, 1862

In 1899, the legal heir to the throne, Princess Kaʻiulani became ill and died childless at the age of 23 years old, ending the dynastic line of succession.

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Queen Liliʻuokalani did not have any children from her marriage and later died on November 11, 1917 while under the illegal occupation.  After the queens death, her cousin Princess Elizabeth Keka'aniau La'anui is the only survivor of the royal family members who were made Pre-emptive and eligible to the throne by Royal Decree and became the Head of the Royal House and "de jure" sovereign of the occupied Hawaiian Kingdom.

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