Royal Family of Hawaii Official Website

H.M. Queen Liliʻuokalani
1838-1917

High Chiefess Liliʻu Kamakaʻeha was born on September 2, 1838 and was officially named eligible to the throne by H.M. King Kamehameha III and was entered in the Chiefs' Children's School. She was a direct descendant of Kalaninuiʻiamamao, brother of Keoua nui's sacred father, Keʻeaumokunui of the powerful house of Keawe. Princess Liliʻuokalani ascended to the throne on January 29, 1891 as the heir of her brother, King David Kalakaua.

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

The Queen always believed in the birthright of Hawaiian Royalty as well as protecting and caring for her people, so immediately upon her accession to the throne, 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 in turmoil. Queen Liliʻuokalani was illegally overthrown on January 17, 1893 , by opposition of her new Constitution, by those claiming to have established a Provisional Government,

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."

The queen 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.

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 "Ku'u 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.

"Kuʻu 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

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

Princess Kaʻiulani, heir to the throne

On March 9, 1891, the Queen officially proclaimed only one heir to the

throne, her niece, Princess Kaʻiulani who was in

England at the time being educated.

Queen Liliʻuokalani attempted to name Prince David Kawananakoa & Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaʻole as heirs to the throne after Princess Kaʻiulani in her drafted 1893 Constitution, but it was never approved or ratified by the legislature and they were never officially declared by proclamation or decree.

Unfortunately, the queen did not secure any other heir for the throne and on

March 6, 1899, the legal heir to the throne, Princess Kaʻiulani became ill and died childless at the age of 23 years old, ending the line of succession.

Queen Liliʻuokalani married the Honorable John Dominis, but had no children, she lived in dignified retirement with no justice of her having been illegally overthrown. Her Majesty Queen Liliʻuokalani passed away on November 11, 1917, while still under an illegal occupation of the Hawaiian kingdom by the U.S. Territory.

Her philanthropy wish regarding her estate was left to a trust for the well being of orphan and destitute Hawaiian children.

After the queens death, her cousin, Princess Elizabeth Kekaʻaniau Laʻanui is the only survivor of the aliʻi who were eligible to succeed to the throne by royal decree under the articles of the constitution and became the head of the royal house and "de jure" sovereign of the occupied Hawaiian Kingdom under international laws.