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Queen Lili‘uokalani
(1838 -
1917)
Queen Lili‘uokalani was the last monarch of
the Hawaiian Islands.
She reigned from 1891
to 1893.
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[State
Archives] |
BIRTH |
Queen
Lili‘uokalani was born on September 2, 1838, in
Honolulu.
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FAMILY |
She
was the daughter of high ranking chiefs Caesar Kapa‘akea and Anale‘a
Keohokālole, and sister of David Kalākaua, Miriam Likelike and
William Pitt Leleiōhoku. Upon her birth she became the hanai
child of chiefs Laura Konia and Abner Paki.
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NAME |
She
was given the name Lydia Lili‘u Loloku Walania Wewehi
Kamaka‘eha. In her youth she was called "Lydia" or "Lili‘u"
and then "Lili‘uokalani" when she became heir
apparent.
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MARRIAGE |
Lili‘u married John
O. Dominis on September 16, 1862. They lived with his widowed
mother at Washington Place, today the official residence of Hawai‘i's
Governor.
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ASCENDS
TO
THRONE |
In
1891 her brother, King Kalākaua, died and
Lili‘uokalani succeeded to the throne.
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OVERTHROW |
Queen
Lili‘uokalani sought to amend the
constitution to restore some of the power lost during the reign of
her brother. Local sugar planters and businessmen feared a loss
of revenue and influence and instigated an overthrow. To avoid
bloodshed, the Queen yielded her throne on January 17, 1893. A
provisional government was established.
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IMPRISONMENT |
In
1895 Lili‘uokalani
was imprisoned for eight months in ‘Iolani Palace for her
alleged knowledge of a counterrevolutionary attempt by her
supporters.
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RELEASED ON
PAROLE |
On
September 6, 1896, Lili‘uokalani was
released on parole, but she was forbidden to leave the island of
O‘ahu.
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JOINS ST. ANDREW'S
CATHEDRAL |
On May
18, 1896, at 6:30 a.m., Lili‘uokalani
was baptized and confirmed by Bishop Willis into the Episcopal
Church. Though she had been a long-time member of
Kawaiha‘o Church, she decided to leave
citing the lack of pastoral care and support during her
imprisonment.
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ANNEXATION |
On
July 7, 1898, President McKinley signed the resolution annexing
Hawaii to the United States.
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DEED OF TRUST |
In her Deed of Trust dated December 2, 1909,
which was later amended in 1911, Lili`uokalani entrusted her estate
to provide for orphan and destitute children in the Hawaiian
Islands, with preference for Hawaiian children. Her legacy is
perpetuated through the Queen Lili`uokalani Children’s Center.
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DEATH |
Queen
Lili‘uokalani died at Washington Place
on November 11, 1917, at the age of 79. After a state funeral,
her remains were placed in the Royal Mausoleum.
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INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
HER MAJESTY |
- The color of her reign was
yellow.
- Her motto was "E
onipa‘a...i ka ‘imi
na‘auao" (Be steadfast in the
seeking of knowledge).
- The royal standard of the Kalākaua
family was the Burning Torch.
- She was the composer
of "Aloha ‘Oe" and over 150 other
songs.
- She was the author of Hawai‘i's
Story by Hawai‘i's Queen.
- She was the translator of the
Hawaiian Creation Chant, "Kumulipo."
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RESOURCES |
- Allen, Helena G.
The Betrayal of Lili‘uokalani.
Glendale, CA: Arthur H. Clark Co.,
1982
- Irwin, Bernice Pi‘ilani. I
Knew Queen Lili‘uokalani.
2nd ed. Honolulu, HI: First People's
Productions, 1998.
- Lili‘uokalani. Hawai‘i's Story by Hawai‘i's
Queen. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co.,
1964.
- Low, Ruby Hasegawa.
Lili‘uokalani.
Honolulu, HI: Kamehameha Schools Press, 1993.
- Gillett, Dorothy Kahananui (text
& music notation). Smith, Barbara Barnard. The Queen's Songbook. Honolulu: Hui Hānai,
1999.
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LINKS |
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