The Hawaiian Monarchy

The first monarch of Hawaii was Kamehameha the Great, a fierce warrior who united by force the separate fuedal societies of the islands. His dynasty, beginning in 1810, continued through five kings. When the last of the Kamehameha dynasty, Kamehameha V (known as Lot) died in 1872, he named Princess Bernice to be his heir. She, however, refused the crown, preferring a retired life with her husband.

This decision by Bernice left vacant the throne. The legislature therefore nominated some distant relatives of the Kamehameha line and declared an election. Hawaii's first elected king, Lunalilo, was royalty for less than a year when he unexpectedly died. He had not named an heir. SO... the country decided to elect a next monarch. This election was famously heated and nasty. The two candidates, David Kalakaua and Queen Emma, widow of one of the Kamehameha kings, did not much care for the other and rumors and mudslinging and general ugliness ensued. In the end, Queen Emma was defeated and the Kalakaua dynasty began.

Being a smart man, one of the first things Kalakaua did was to create a line of sucession. This came in handy when he passed away in 1891. His sister Lili-uokalani was made queen, and her niece Victoria Ka'iulani named Crown Princess. The government of Hawaii was overthrown in 1893 and the monarchy was abrogated. However then royal line does continue to this day. After the early, tragic death of Ka'iulani, Lili-uokalani named David Kawananakoa, nephew to David Kalakaua's wife, as her heir. We now come to the Kawananakoa Dynasty in waiting - the presumptive heirs to the throne of Hawaii.

David Kawananakoa was a significant character in the life of Ka'iulani. There are many indications that the two were secretly engaged, however, nothing can be known for certain. He did marry eventually to Abigail Wahiikaahuula Campbell. In what was doubtlessly a scandal, he refused to acknowledge paternity for her first child; however, officially this child, also named Abigail, was next in the line of succession. Her son Edward Kawananakoa was next in line, and then his son, Quentin Kawananakoa, who currently is the heir-presumptive to the defunct kingdom and the head ali'i, or chief, of Hawaii. The Kawananakoa family is closely tied to the Hawaiian Republican Party - in fact, Quentin Kawananakoa was the minority leader in the Hawaiian Legislature during the 1990s. His son Kincaid (a dreadful name) is next in the line of succession.

This is very interesting, actually. Many people talk about the Kennedy's being the American royals, or the Bush family, or whoever happens to be in vogue at the moment. What most people do not realize is that the Kawananakoa family is actually recognized as royalty, with titles of Prince and Princess still conferred. They are the only true royals in the United States. Very interesting, eh?