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"The band of Hawaiian damsels who were to have lowered for the last time the Hawaiian flag, as the Government band played for the last time officially the ponoi, would not lower it. The band refused to play the ponoi, and loud weeping was the only music contributed by the natives."

-U.S. Admiral Lester Anthony Beardslee, an observer at the Royal 'Iolani Palace "annexation" proclamation of August 12th, 1898.

Aloha kakou.

                       On this forthcoming Saturday morning October 15th at 9.30 a.m. on the corner of Ka'iulani and Kuhio Avenue's, Waikiki, malihini and locals alike will be treated to the annual lei draping ceremony at the statue of H.R.H. Princess Ka'iulani.

This very special statute weighing 800 pounds and standing seven and a half feet in height humbly salutes the memory of the Princess of Peacocks. It is befitting next day that her 136th anniversary birthday falls on Sunday 16th this 2011, as Sunday was her favorite day of the week in childhood when following 2.p.m. Sunday dinner the gardens of 'Ainahau were filled with laughter & mele, the talk-story of her Cousins, and the afternoon croquet game.

As the pu (conch shell) announces the opening of the ceremony this Saturday an oli (chant) may be performed with the subsequent singing of "Lei No Ka'iulani," to those early morning shoppers alighting from the bus at the nearby bus-stop wether they speak English, Hawaiian, German, or French all of which the Crown Princess was fluent the sight may serve as testimony that there are still those in Hawai'i both loyal and true who remember her patriots with pride. Of all the gifts in life however great or small, to have her Ho'olina Mo'i Wahine of Hawai'i was the greatest gift of all.

Be forewarned this blog posting is lengthy, if understandably you do not have time to read through it please take a look at the Ka'iulani Project which "shows Princess Ka'iulani of Hawaii as an inspiration for young people to stand up and speak for their beliefs, and to find their own truths by fully embracing their heritage." The Ka'iulani Project is available by clicking here.... mahalo!:

http://www.thekaiulaniproject.com/index.htm

In recapping below a little of the background tapestry of her life below, please note that the year(s) denoted represent her birthday anniversary of October 16th, for example she met the author Robert Louis Stevenson in early February 1889 when she was thirteen and would be fourteen post-October of that year when she was overseas, she was incidentally never to meet Stevenson in person again.

1875:

When the Princess was born to HRH Princess Miriam Kapili Kekauluohi Likelike the future Royal Governor of Hawai'i Island 1878-1880, and future Governor of O'ahu under HRH Queen Lili'uokalani the Honorable Archibal Scott Cleghorn she was named in honor of her deceased Aunt Anna Ka'iulani and also Victoria the then reigning Sovereign of Great Britain.

At birth she had three half-sisters through her Father's first marriage to Elizabeth Lepeka Kahalaunani who later died in 1889: Elizabeth-Pauahi, Rose-Kaipuala, and Helen Mani'iailehua.

Her parents had been married by Rev. C. G. Williamson the rector of St. Andrews on September 12, 1870, at Washington Place, HRH King Kamehameha V signed the register as a witness, her Father Archie Cleghorn was aged 35. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland on November 15, 1835 while her Mother was aged 19. Born in Honolulu, January 13, 1851, the same year coincidentally her husband Archibald first arrived in Hawai'i. In 1871 shortly after the wedding Princess Ka'iulani's parents went on honeymoon they visited Auckland, Sydney, and Melbourne and returned to Honolulu in December of 1871.

The 'ohana would later reside at the estate of Ka'iulani's Godmother, HRH Princess Ruth Keelikolani, who bequeathed the area to the family on Ka'iulani's baptism. King Kalakaua & Queen Kapi'olani were also her Godparents along with Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland.

The Cleghorn 'ohana initially lived on Queen Emma Street where HRH Ka'iulani was born. This is now 1451 Queen Emma St. the site of the current Pacific Club which bought the old Cleghorn Estate in 1926, until Princess Ka'iulani was three they resided here when they then relocated to 'Ainahau.

Church bells rang throughout Honolulu marking the birth event. After the baptism ceremony 8 weeks later at the old Palace ('Iolani not yet constructed) the Royal Hawaiian Band performed "The Ka'iulani March" under its stirring maestro Captain Henri Berger. It was a year which saw Kingdom exports worth $2,028,ooo while island imports accounted for $1,682,000.

1876:

The year when the Princess was one, her Father Archie was already serving in the House of Nobels and Kingdom Privy Council where he would officiate within both institutes until 1888 & 1891 respectively. "Hawai'i Pono'i" was declared the Kingdom's National Anthem. It was a year in which Claus Spreckels first arrived in Hawai'i, he explored undeveloped land on Maui and returned to Ko Hawai'i Pae'aina the following year with an irrigation engineer Herman Schussler which meant he was hardly vacationing. On this year the U.S. Senate ratified the Reciprocity Treaty assuring U.S. markets for Hawaiian sugar.

1877:

The year when the Princess was two Kapi'olani Park opened, her Father was vice-President and later President of the Kapi'olani Park Association, he planned the landscaping and supervised the planting of the stately ironwood trees on the main Avenue. On the death of William P. Leleiohoku II the hana'i son of HRH Princess Ruth Ke'elikolani on April 18th of rheumatic fever at just twenty-two years, her Mother HRH Miriam Likelike became 2nd in line to the Throne behind her Sister HRH Lili'uokalani who was now proclaimed heir apparent being HRH Kalakaua's sister. Hawaiian history may well have diverged very differently had HRH Leleiohoku II ascended to the Throne as King had he survived.

The death of Prince Leleiohoku was a shattering blow to her (Ka'iulani's) Mother and she took a trip to San Francisco over in the U.S. while en route she suffered a miscarriage a very grave situation in those days given the limited medication onboard ship and thus out of complications bore no further keiki. She was in the company of the Hon. S. & Mrs. Parker, the Hon. S. G. Wilder, and Mrs. J. Mott Smith. Following recovery in San Francisco she was to return to Honolulu aboard the steamer named in her honor "Likelike."

1878:

The year when the Princess was three the family moved to 'Ainahau which her Mother named, the area was originally called Auakai which had a stream flowing makai called Apuakehau. HRH Lili'uokalani composed the haunting melody "Aloha 'Oe," this was the year the first Portuguese contract laborers arrived from the Madeira Islands on board the "Priscila."

1879:

The year when the Princess was four her Mother would serve as Governess of Moku o Keawe from March of this year to September of 1880 when she resigned of her own accord and received  an allowance granted from the Kingdom civil list, she was a very popular Governor among the po'e who visited all the island districts. The first imported steam fire engine was brought to Hawai'i, the cornerstone of 'Iolani Palace was laid on December 31st by HRH Kalakaua marking HRH Queen Kapi'olani's 45th birthday

1880:

The year when the Princess was five HRH King Kalakaua revived the tradition of hula, the first artesian well drilled in Honolulu occurred under the auspices of Dr. Augustus Marques. The Princess exhibited early signs of being kolohe in her reluctance to leave the Parker Ranch to return to Honolulu where her Father was ill and she received a chiding letter from him as a five year old about her kuleana.

1881:

The year when the Princess was six HRH King David Kalakaua commenced his World tour on January 16th, it was his desire while in Japan that a future marriage of HRH Ka'iulani and Prince Komatsu Akihito of Japan could be arranged to strengthen an alliance between the two Countries, as Prince Akihito was already designed for marriage within Japanese Royalty the offer was later politely declined in a letter from the Prince to the King of Hawai'i and it remains to this day one of the great "What if's?" had such a marriage occurred and the changes it would have affected on the future course of Hawaiian history. 

The implications of such an alliance deserve scrutiny, they are outlined in this rich article if you scroll down about a quarter of the page where in a letter dated January 29th 1894 Queen Lili'uokalani notifies Princess Ka'iulani about the proposal 13 years earlier this appears the first time the Princess became aware of the proposition and accounts somewhat for the lengthy delay in responding to her Aunt:  

http://www.janesoceania.com/hawaii_kaiulani1/index.htm

The above link provides some revealing historical insight of the exchanged written correspondence between HRH Ka'iulani & her Father, her Aunt HRH Lili'uokalani, and Nevison "Toby" William DeCourcy the British architect and civil engineer whom HRH Ka'iulani had befriended later in her life.

If you scroll down near the end of the page you can read of how in the latter stages of her short life at Parker Ranch while some of the other wedding guests had departed, out horseriding one day the Princess reputedly met a Kahuna with  enormous mana who forewarned her:

"Beware young Ali'i, rain clouds gather overhead."

The episode startled HRH Ka'iulani and witnesses recounted her looking very pale on returning to the hale. It was a strange omen which Prince Kawanakoa understood when the episode was related to him.

On November 30th a Capt. Henry Whalley Nicholson would present HRH Ka'iulan's Father with a book titled "A fortune in five years at Hawaii," the manuscript is important as on page 277 is a photograph of Miss. Victoria Cleghorn while on page 78 is a photograph of Mrs. Miriam Cleghorn, Captain Nicholson had visited the islands the previous year as a 41 year old Briton and recorded his journeys while on the archipelago, the book is now in Bishop Museum Library collection.

1882:

The year when the Princess was seven she was an accomplished horse-rider thanks to "Fairy" her snow-white pony 'Ainahau actually had a stable for a number of horses including "Fairy" who was billeted there. His Excellency King Kalakaua had Hale Akala (pink house) constructed in the grounds of the Royal 'Iolani Palace as an informal residence, a two story lattice structure which was demolished in 1919, the Royal Palace itself was completed on December 27th of this year which also marked the first issued postal stamps in Honolulu for the Universal Postal Union.

1883:

The year when the Princess was eight the statute of King Kamehameha the Great was unveiled on February 14th outside Ali'iolani Hale opposite Royal 'Iolani Palace it was unveiled by His Excellency King David Kalakaua in heavy rain.

Rains had also fallen for three days prior to the Coronation Ceremony this year. On the glorious sunny day in the Royal Coronation Pavillion HRH Kalakaua dressed in the resplendent white and gold uniform of the King's Guard & HRH Kapi'olani dressed in eye-catching velvet were crowned.

Her Mother HRH Likelike attired in a white satin brocade trimmed with pearls and ostrich feathers had draped the famed cape of King Kamehameha I composed of some 450,000 feathers of the o'o bird over the King's shoulders, later the celebrations took place indoors in the Throne Room lit by electric arc lights where HRH Ka'iulani was in the company of her Governess Miss Miram Barnes throughout the Coronation Ceremony and festivities.

HRH Princess Ruth Luka Keanolani Kauanahoahoa Ke'elikolani Godmother to the Princess and known to her with affection as "Mama Nui" died on May 24th at her beloved thatched roof hale in the grounds of Hulihe'e Palace down in Kailua-Kona aged 56, she had a very special place in her heart, this was to be the first of numerous very close 'ohana deaths and friends to afflict the young Princess in the years ahead. HRH Princess Ke'elikolani comprehended and spoke English well but always emphasized the importance of ka 'olelo Hawai'i in social and personal conversational interaction. Her popularity with the maka'ainana is especially noteworthy there is a good deal of information about her on the internet including this praiseworthy article in the "Star-Bulletin" archives:

http://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/05/30/features/index.html

72 manakuke were imported to the islands from Jamaica and made their debut at Hilo and Hamakua where they were raised by plantation owners and their subsequent offspring shipped to O'ahu, Maui, & Moloka'i. A writer in "Planters Monthly" noted at the time:

'Wether it would be wise to introduce the animal to these islands may be a question, it would be important to first learn more of the nature of the creature for they may prove an evil.'

1884:

The year when the Princess was nine she became accustomed to having the Honolulu society elite gravitating to 'Ainahau the steady stream of important cosmopolitan visitors became a familiar backdrop. Bernice Pauahi Bishop died on October 16th. Her Mother visited San Francisco over in the U.S. once again at the same time another Royal was there namely Queen Pomare of Tahiti. The Hawaiian Kingdom census this year indicates 80,578 inhabitants on the archipelago including listing by career vocation two veterinary surgeons.

1885:

The year when the Princess was ten she wrote a letter on May 13th which you can see by clicking here:

http://www.delparker.com/?id=5337 

The letter as an opinion is revealing in that the handwriting does not exhibit a "shy" nine year old girl but rather a very bright extrovert due to its large intrinsic lettering content. HRH Queen Emma died on April 25th at age 49, both King Kalakaua and Princess Ka'iulani attended the funeral on May 14th at Kawaiah'o Church.

Her new English Governess Miss Gertrude Gardiner who was to instill pono social etiquette protocol arrived in Hawai'i a few days earlier on May 8th. This was the year HRH Lili'uokalani visited Nihoa Island. His Excellency King Kalakaua witnessed the first sumo wrestling bout at the Immigration Depot.

For her 10th birthday the Princess was given a flag of red silk with the Coat-of-Arms of the Kalakaua dynasty in the center was a cross embroidered on a white background. She had been down in Kaawaloa on the 16th where she enjoyed a magnificent lu'au but returned to Honolulu the following day for further birthday festivities.

1886:

The year when the Princess was eleven the rare confluence of natural beauty and high intelligence is evident, if you click on this link you can see a stunning memorable photograph of her from this time:

http://www.hawaiiforvisitors.com/monarchy/princess-kaiulani-age-11.htm

Her birthday on October 16th of this year was a formal occasion as members of the Kingdom Legislature were present with their wives. A toast to the Princess by His Excellency David Kalakaua was endorsed by Samuel Gardner Wilder who said: "May she indeed live to be the hope of the Nation."

The Princess received an entire room filled with birthday gifts. Shortly thereafter her Governess Miss Gardiner announced her engagement to Albert Heydtmann and that she would be leaving the Cleghorn household. This was very frustrating to Princess Ka'iulani due to their close bond of attachment. When Albert Heydtmann appeared outside the door of the Cleghorn home the Princess said:

"Mr. Heydtmann I hate you." To which he queried: "Why, Princess Ka'iulani! What have I ever done to make you say that?"

To which she replied: "You are going to take Miss Gardiner away. She came to Hawai'i for me, not you." 

(Source: Pages 48/49, "Princess Ka'iulani Hope of a Nation, Heart of a People," by Sharon Linnea). 

Royal 'Iolani Palace was on July 26 illuminated by electric arc lights funded by HRH Kalakaua whose 50th birthday and Jubilee celebration ball occurred on November 26th this year.

1887:

The year when the Princess was twelve in mid-January fisher folk on Moku o Keawe noticed the enormous shoaling of 'aweoweo close to shore the appearance of these brightly red colored 'ia traditionally signified the forthcoming imminent death of a high Ali'i (Pukui 1979:270) and so this portend was to be, tragically her Mother HRH Princess Miriam Likelike died on February 2nd sometime after 4 p.m. after a short illness aged 36, it was her reputed prophecy to her daughter: "You will never become Queen," Princess Ka'iulani was at her bedside and ran to her Governess to be consoled.

At midnight a large procession moved her Mother to Royal 'Iolani Palace where she lay in state in the Throne Room until her burial on February 27th, the Princess stayed at the Royal Palace throughout this time. The requiem mass was presided over by Bishop Willis and Rev. Alexander MacIntosh. Princess Ka'iulani thus inherited the ten acre 'Ainahu ("Land of hau trees" or the "Cool place" as her Mother had named it) following the death of her beloved Mother.

Years later her Father would Will this entire Estate to the people of Hawai'i to be used specifically as a public Park in memory of his Daughter. He was to die of a heart attack at 'Ainahau on November 1st of 1910. The mendacious Legislature following the unlawful overthrow and unlawful "annexation" declined his very honorable request in both 1911 & 1913 and the Estate was eventually divided up and sold to dollar-hungry developers, no longer would the unblemished fragrant scented breezes flow soothingly down from Manoa Valley.

Royal 'Iolani palace was wired by the end of April and electrical generating machinery installed. The Kamehameha boys school opened in Honolulu, HRH Queen Kapi'olani and HRH Lili'uokalani attended Queen Victoria's Jubilee celebration over in Great Britain. This was the year the unlawful Bayonet Constitution was forcibly signed in July abolishing the King's power to dismiss the Cabinet and implemented a Legislative power to override his veto, imposing stringent income and property requirements for voting thus disenfranchising a large sector of the populace a document which was authored by Lorrin Thurston.

1888:

The year when the Princess was thirteen she threw the switch and initiated the electric lighting for downtown Honolulu's permanent street lights from the Nu'uanu hydroelectric plant in the company of Princess Lili'uokalani on Friday evening March 23rd. Cascading water energy powered the turbines, at the time the "Honolulu Gazette" wrote:

"At 7.30 pm the sound of excitement in the streets of Honolulu brought citizens, printers, policemen and all other nocturnal fry rushing outdoors to see what was up, and what they did see was Honolulu lighted by electricity."

Kaumakapili Church on Beretania was dedicated on June 10th of this year.

1889:

The year when the Princess was fourteen the yacht "Casco" arrived in January with Robert Louis Stevenson & his 'ohana aboard. Her soon to be friend whom she first met at the famous garden banyan tree in front of the house at 'Ainahau on February 9th would be the scene of numerous future memorable liasons he played flute, lent her books, and they often spoke of travels, her beloved peacocks and her horse "Fairy" spending endless hours of conversation under the banyan tree, it was said the Buddha received enlightenment under a fig tree so it was with this happy couple.

She attended the 21st birthday party of David Kawanakoa her hana'i cousin at the Royal 'Iolani Palace on February 20th. In 1950 a senior citizen resident in Waikiki still recalled the site of the Princess on horseback as she often travelled down to the beach and to Le'ahi where she met the maritime lookout Mr. Peterson a.k.a. Diamond Head Charlie.

On April 15th Fr. Damian died of Hansen's disease at age 49 on Moloka'i a year which witnessed the first train running on the O'ahu railroad. Significantly, this was the year HRH Ka'iulani left for Great Harrowden Hall in Northamptonshire, England to be educated overseas.

Attired in a peacock feathered frock onboard the then A1 steamship "S.S. Umatilla" whose local handling agents were Wm. G Irwin & Co. she set sail en route initially for San Francisco over in the U.S. her sojourn began on May 10th departing Honolulu with her Father and Sister Annie, the latter initially to accompany her as far as New York via Chicago but eventually Sisters being Sisters accompanied her all the way to England where she would also enroll in the same school.

Her Father accompanied her to San Francisco along with Mrs. Walker the wife of the British Consul to the Kingdom who had arranged along with her husband Thomas-Rain placing of her in school in England, and her two young daughters and he (her Father) left them after a few days in San Francisco as they took the lengthy train journey across the continental U.S. terminating at New York on the North Eastern seaboard. 

A feature nowadays often taken for granted by kama'aina departing Honolulu International airport where schedules are counted in mere hours while vacationing overseas in foreign Countries be it up in Canada, across in Japan, over in the U.S., or down in New Zealand, at the time of the Princess's departure she had to travel over 2,ooo nautical miles to San Francisco, over 3,000 miles by train to New York via Chicago, and then another 3,000 nautical miles to Liverpool in England.

She arrived at Liverpool, England on May 10th, 1889. They travelled by train to Manchester where they stayed overnight. Later on June 18th the Princess would see the sights of London for the first time. While in England she met her new chaperone Mr. Theophilus Harris Davies he resided at the time at Southport near Liverpool and later at Turnbridge Wells. He also had a property in Killiney, Dublin, Ireland all of which the Princess would visit and stay, he was the Son of a minister who would figuratively become her second Father while she was abroad. She was also to meet here in England her half-cousin David Kawanakoa who was studying overseas at that time.

1890:

The year when the Princess was fifteen her Father paid a visit to her in England and stayed almost a month, she drew the famous "Poppies" oil on canvas for her Aunt the then Princess Lili'uokalani. Her half-sister Annie returned to the Hawaiian Kingdom from England in October following instruction to do so by her Father. A sad parting for the Princess following her birthday which Caroline Sharp hoped to dispel by taking the Princess to Peterboro. Her Uncle the King had earlier wrote to Princess Ka'iulani on the occasion of her birthday enquiring about her schooling and given the forewarning:

"Be on guard against certain enemies I do not feel free to name in writing." 

The Princess responded in kind: "I am quite at a loss to know to whom you refer as not to be relied upon - I wish you could speak more plainly, as I cannot be on guard unless I know to whom you allude."

She did not receive a reply the King's letter was to be his last to her with the benefit of hindsight years later she understood the meaning of the King's words.

This exchange is revealing, it is understandable as to why her Father, King Kalakaua, and Queen Kapi'olani should advocate her studying in Great Britain, but one wonders why exactly had Lorrin Thurston his fingers in the poi? As Minister for the Interior and later to be a central figure in the unlawful overthrow why should he have taken an interest in having her sent abroad? We know he actively campaigned as Theo Davies mentioned it in the British media statement he drafted which Princess Ka'iulani herself publicly read after hearing of the Queen's unlawful overthrow i.e. "Four years ago, at the request of Thurston, then Hawaiian Cabinet Minister, I was sent away to study in England to be educated privately......."

Pearl City (Ewa) was officially named on May 16th, the first of three ostriches arrived on the islands at the behest of Dr. Trousseau. HRH Kalakaua was to have an ostrich farm in Kaimuki where they would roam freely on the hill slopes. Honolulu had 797 homes served with electricity at this time.

1891:

The year when the Princess was sixteen HRH King Kalakaua died of Bright's disease nowadays medically termed chronic nephritis on January 20th at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco over in the U.S., he had been advised not to attend a masonic meeting shortly beforehand which he insisted on doing, the sad news was relayed to the Princess by Caroline Sharp the elderly school mistress at Harrowden Hall.

HRH Lili'uokalani was proclaimed Queen on January 29th and her Father Archie became Governor of O'ahu on January 30th, HRH Lili'uokalani designated on March 9th that HRH Ka'iulani was to be her Heir to the Throne. Historian Ralph S. Kuyendall notes on page 477 of the Kalakaua Dynastism quote, that:

"A special meeting of the House of Nobles was held on March 9th, at which time the Queen announced the appointment and the Nobles immediately and unanimously gave their consent in accordance with article twenty-two of the Constitution."

1892:

The year when the Princess was seventeen she moved to Brighton under the tutelage of Mrs. Phebe Rooke, her travel luggage was embossed with the distinctive lettering "V.K.", locally the Bishop Museum opened and the Hawaiian Historical Society held its first meeting with Charles R. Bishop as its first President.

1893:

The year when the Princess was eighteen HRH Queen Lili'uokalani on January 14th proposed a new draft Constitution which was refused by her new Cabinet. On January 17th the Kingdom Government office building was seized and a public proclamation read to depose the Monarchy and establish a Provisional Government under Sanford Dole, U.S. marines landed at the behest of U.S. Ambassador Stevens, the Queen by documentary signed statement temporarily yielded her authority, according to historian Professor Kuyeundall in his chronology of the Kalakaua Dynastism for an entry in her Father's diary of January 17, 1893 a British sympathizer had requested the Queen to abdicate in favor of Ka'iulani on the afternoon that the rebels had moved on the Government building. The following day January 18th Kuyendall notes Archie Cleghorn recorded: "Steven's sent for him and offered to have a lawyer go to the Claudine to protect Ka'iulani's interests providing the islands were annexed, he Steven's would recommend a liberal sum for her during her lifetime." From page 618 of Kuyendall's chronology, quote: "From the beginning of the revolution, a great many people in Hawaii including Sanford B. Dole, would have been willing to replace Lili'uokalani with Ka'iulani under a regency."

February 1st saw Ambassador Stevens once again acting ultra vires in recognizing the new Government and proclaiming Hawai'i a U.S. protectorate without the authority of the U.S. State Department, and on February 14th the Provisional Government sent its commissioners onboard the "Claudine" Thurston, Castle, & Wilder to Washington DC empowered to draft a Treaty of Annexation. The commissioners arrived in San Francisco on January 28th the vessel "Claudine" had been searched before departing Honolulu to ensure none of the Queen's envoys were aboard. The Queen's envoys departed Honolulu on February 1st aboard the "S.S. Australia," they were Prince David Kawanakoa, former Attorney General Paul Neumann and now Queen's Attorney, and E.C. McFarlane (E. C. McFarlane met his Brother Ned McFarlane while over in Washington DC on March 11th) whose mandate was to negotiate the withdrawal of the proposed Annexation Treaty.

U.S President Harrison and his secretary Foster had already received the Queen's letter of protest by the time he met the Annexationist commissioners, despite this in his last month in office signed this Treaty on February 14th and submitted it to the U.S. Senate on February 15th which failed to act on it before his term expired. Her Father Archie and some friends had financed E. C. McFarlane a former Kingdom Minister of Finance from the preceding year and an associate to go to Washington DC and represent his Daughter's interests in the event the Queen would not be reinstated.

The Queen's envoys would arrive in Washington DC on February 17th to find the Annexationist commissioners Lorrin Thurston, William Castle, Charles Carter, William Marsden, and William Wilder had already signed the Treaty with the U.S. President.

HRH Ka'iulani received word on the basis of 3 short telegrams to Theo Davies who in turn notified Ka'iulani on January 30th that Queen Lili'uokalani had been deposed and the Monarchy was abrogated. She knew from his facial composition that something serious had happened before he even spoke to her.

On February 15th HRH Ka'iulani left England in the company of Theo Davies and his Wife and Daughter Alice, and her assistant Miss. Whartoff for the U.S. aboard the vessel "Teutonic" in order to attempt to prevent the Treaty of Annexation presented to U.S. President Harrison by the commissioners of the Provisional Government being ratified. With a gross tonnage of 9,984 tons this ship was capable of 16 knots and had served this same Liverpool/New York route for her maiden voyage back in 1889.

They arrived in New York on March 1st where Princess Ka'iulani addressed and impressed a number of media reporters, they left on March 3rd and travelled to Boston to meet the Davie's son Clive studying at the M.I.T. and visited Wellesley College. While in Boston she stayed at the Hotel Brunswick.

On March 8th Princess Ka'iulani and her entourage arrived in Washington DC by train from New York, she met representatives of the World's Fair Commission on March 10th.

The media were covering her U.S. tour extensively as she attended many social functions often given in her honor and both U.S. President Grover Cleveland who was inaugurated on March 4th and his wife Frances were anxious to meet the Princess which they did at the Blue Room of the White House with Davies on March 13th.

The new U.S. President in office would have had advisors who directed the President's attention to relevant newspaper articles to get the pulse of the voting public. Frances Cleveland would have been familiar with the gossip of what attire the Princess was wearing at social banquets and events on her U.S. tour and we can assume the Princess was discussed between the couple on her departure. Frances in particular would have been impressed with the young Princess.

Grover Cleveland had a ring of honesty about him as he along with Gresham withdrew former President Harrison's Treaty of Annexation before the Senate on March 9th only 5 days after his inauguration, he did represent Princess Ka'iulani's cause however the U.S. Senate was not greatly sympathetic, he had described the landing of U.S. troops in Honolulu before Congress as being an act of war, later as events transpired in the annexationist's favor he said he was ashamed of the whole affair. It would be fair to credit HRH Ka'iulani in playing her part in swaying President Cleveland to do something and it was his decision to dispatch an emissary James Blount to Honolulu to compile a detailed Report whereupon he returned to Washington DC four months later.

Grover Cleveland had not actively discouraged earlier the 1884 coercive dialogue with HRH Kalakaua in leasing Pu'uloa and developing its eventual militarization which would occur post-1911 he was content to have Hawai'i within the U.S. sphere of influence, effectively he represented American interests not Hawaiian, he agreed with the right of the Hawaiian people to choose their own form of Government.

In Washington DC they stayed at the Arlington Hotel located opposite the White House on Lafayette Square where the Princess met Prince David Kawanakoa who was one of the Queen's envoys, at this time the pro-Annexationist's were in town also staying at the appropriately named "Wormley's Hotel," Davie's noted a Hawaiian flag flew at the Hotel on U.S. soil while in Honolulu the U.S. flag flew on Sovereign Hawaiian soil. Lorrin Thurston was elated on hearing Theo Davies was accompanying HRH Ka'iulani as she could be portrayed as a future English Sovereign for Hawai'i and thus strengthen the Annexationist cause.

On March 14th Princess Ka'iulani had luncheon aboard the "Dale" at Washington Navy yard, and the following day attended a gala in her honor at the Arlington Hotel hosted by the National Geographic Society. Before departing Washington she met U.S. Senators and the French Ambassador and she was guest of honor at a benefit of the Women's Suffrage Association.

On March 22nd accompanied by Theo Davies she departed America for England. Blount would arrive in Hawai'i a week later on March 29th to conduct his investigation which he would have completed on July 17th when his Report was finalized, the Queen's envoys would arrive back in Honolulu on April 7th, and later this year U.S. Ambassador Albert F. S. Willis would arrive in Honolulu to restore the Queen (when this failed it was referred back to the U.S. Congress which led to the Morgan Report submitted on February 26, the following year of 1894) on Saturday, November 4th having been sent by President Cleveland on the basis of Blount's Report.

On December 3rd the anti-Annexationist U.S. Secretary of State Walter Gresham wrote to Cleveland as follows: "Should not the great wrong done to a feeble but independent state by an abuse of authority of the U.S. be undone by restoring the legitimate government? Anything short of that will not, I suspect, satisfy the demands of justice."

1894:

The year when the Princess was nineteen the unlawful "Republic of Hawaii" was established to give an aura of respectability to their treasonous acts on January 17th, it was actually declared on July 4th, the Queen would later write in her diary in Chapter LI on pseudo-Hawaiians quote: "When it pleased the Provisional Government to give their control another name, they called it the Republic of Hawaii. To gain the sympathy of the American people, they made the national day of the Independence of the United States their own, and made speeches claiming to be American citizens. Such has been their custom at Honolulu, although in Washington they represent themselves as Hawaiians."

Later in August U.S. President Cleveland gave official recognition to this bogus body, slightly earlier Secretary of State Gresham in his letter to Ambassador Willis of July 27th, 1894 criticized him (Cleveland) for offering "provisional recognition when no recognition at all should have been offered," on August 2nd at the U.S. State Department on receiving representatives of the Queen, Samuel Parker enquired of Walter Gresham as to what U.S. reaction would occur if a coup was organized to restore the Queen? Gresham responded: "You will encounter no opposition from this Government. We claim no right to meddle in the domestic affairs of your Country." (Source: Conversation between Gresham and H.A. Wildemann, Dept. of State record group 59, National archives), J.A. Cummins was with this delegation.

Some of the exchanged correspondence between the Kingdom Government & U.S. Government for the 1893-94 era is available here:

http://www.donch.com/lulh/latyrs6.htm

The first Hawaiian telephone directory made its appearance in this year. A young schoolboy by the name of Joseph Kekuku performs steel guitar playing. HRH Ka'iulani learned of the death of her dear childhood friend Robert Louis Stevenson on December 3rd who died of a brain seizure aged 44, she had spent time in Germany this year.

1895:

The year when the Princess was twenty her Father visited her in August. Locally the Second Wilcox Rebellion of January 6-9th failed to reach its objective. The Hawaiian Sugar Plantation Association was formed. HRH Queen Lili'uokalani would write "The Queen's Prayer" while unlawfully imprisoned a hymn dedicated to Princess Ka'iulani. Walter Gresham U.S. secretary of State died of pneumonia on May 28th, before he died he had told friends:

"I still have confidence in the ultimate triumph of the right. I believe when the American people fully understand the Hawaiian matter, they will condemn the great wrong done the natives by the missionaries, and their descendants, supported by the U.S." (Source: Charles William Calhoun, "The Gilded Age Cato, the life of Walter Q. Gresham," p.161).

1896:

The year when the Princess was twenty-one there were 12,616 students enrolled in 187 schools locally in Hawai'i, at a time when the Republic of Hawaii passed the English Law obliging English as the medium of instruction in schools. Her Father arrived in England that Summer and accompanied her on her European tours.

1897

The year when the Princess was twenty-two she was on Jersey Island with her Father under a copse of trees which reminded her of 'Ainahau. Accompanied by her Father she returned to Ko Hawai'i Pae 'Aina on November 8th aboard the "S.S. Australia" a ship the Oceanic Company previously purchased from the firm Elder & Co. and placed it under Hawaiian registry. The Princess having set sail from Southampton, England to New York exactly a week before her birthday in October. They had met by design Queen Lili'uokalani in Washington DC en route home it was the first time in eight years that HRH Ka'iulani had been in person with her Aunt. The Queen was infuriated by events in Hawai'i & Washington DC her words about the annexationist conspirators to HRH Ka'iulani are understandably among the harshest she ever used. The Queen had arrived in Washington DC on January 22nd with her emissaries Joseph Heleluhe and Capt. Palmer, Mrs. Ki'a Naha'olelua was also with the delegation. On January 25th HRH Lili'uokalani had met President Grover Cleveland at the White House where she furnished him with documentation from the Hawaiian Patriotic League.

The Princess's half-sister Annie-Pauahi who had married James Hay Wodehouse the son of the British Commissioner Wodehouse on December 20th of 1890 had died earlier this year on March 6th aged just 29 years, HRH Ka'iulani shortly thereafter took to wearing black in perpetual mourning.

Princess Ka'iulani had been in Paris, France in May of this year. Over in the U.S. President McKinley who would serve in Office from 1897-1901 would be sworn in as President March 4th inauguration day at which HRH Lili'uokalani attended, this date was to be standard from 1793 to 1933 in U.S. politics when it was changed by Law in 1933 to the January 20th inauguration day ever since. Mc Kinley had submitted a new Treaty of Annexation to the Senate which he had been signed with three representatives of the concocted "Republic of Hawaii" namely Lorrin Thurston, William Kinney, and Francis Hatch on June 16th and now forwarded for ratification which failed to receive the required 2/3rd majority vote of Senators present. The Queen still in Washington DC filed an official protest with the U.S. Department of State pertaining to the Treaty which "ceded" Hawaiian lands to the U.S. Government.

On July 26th papers were given to President McKinley by the Queen's emissaries Joseph Heleuhe & Capt. Palmer later that day the Queen herself would meet the President at the White House.

Locally the Pali Road was completed this year and the Hui Pakaka Nui organization was formed. Two days after her arrival back in Honolulu Princess Ka'iulani received for ten hours a long line of guests at 'Ainahau on November 10th which left her exhausted, it was characteristic that she should receive each guest with grace and dignity despite a long journey and events in Honolulu, this courtesy from a twenty-two year old speaks volumes about her generous nature she was always known to give lu'au's to friends. On December 6th David Kalauokalani, John Richardson, William Auld, and James Kauila would arrive in Washington DC with the 556 page memorial & petitions to present to the U.S. Congress on behalf of the people of Hawai'i, they had left Honolulu on November 20th.

1898:

The year when the Princess was twenty-three her engagement to HRH Prince David La'amea Kahelepouli Kinoki Kawanakoa Pi'ikoi on February 3rd was publicly announced in the media (due to her untimely death this wedding sadly never occurred). Theophilus Harris Davies of Turnbridge Wells her second Father while abroad whose Hawaiian connection occurred with his recruitment in England for the Hawaiian Jansen, Green & Co. died on May 25th in Great Britain.

On July 7th pro-Annexationists in the U.S. Congress over in America concocted a scheme to overcome the 2/3rd majority requirement to ratify a Treaty and substitute instead a Resolution requiring a mere majority to both Houses which was adopted on June 15th by the U.S. House of Representatives, on July  6th the Senate adopted the resolution to Annex the so-called "Republic of Hawaii" and pave the way for the "Territory of Hawaii," thus the pro-Annexationist U.S. President McKinley signed the Newlands Resolution named after a Democrat from Nevada U.S. Senator Francis Griffith Newlands (who authored it) on the following day July 7th, which became "official" as House Joint Resolution 259, 55th Congress, 2nd session, under U.S. Law on August 12th.

As Dr. Mehmed Ali recorded in "Ho'ohui'aina Pala Ka Mai'a," quote: "Congress decided that a vote on annexation by the people of Hawai'i was not required by the U.S. constitution and would undo the overthrow of the monarchy and, therefore, could not be allowed. The rights of the native people were ignored." (Hawaiian Journal of History, Vol. 32, 1998).

Princess Ka'iulani and her friends left O'ahu on December 7th 1898 aboard the Wilder Steamship Company's steamer "Kinau" which had been built at the Cramp shipyard of Philadelphia over in the U.S. and first arrived in Honolulu on November 1st, of 1883 and which now plied the route down to Kawaihae, Kohala, Hamakua, and Hilo (the same boat her Father would later sail on when he found out about her illness at the Parker Ranch) for Moku o Keawe having received an invitation to attend the wedding of her friend Eva Parker.

1899:

When the Princess was still only twenty-three she died at 'Ainahau on March 6th the circumstances surrounding same are detailed on the Ka'iulani Project website, she was in the company of her Father, the Robertson's, the Boyd's, Helen Parker, Col. Parker, Kate Vida, Dr. Miner, Dr. St. Walters & his wife, her (Ka'iulani's) maid, Mr. & Mrs. Robertson, Elaie Robertson, & Lumaheihei. The loss of Crown Princess Victoria Kawekiu Lunalilo Kalaninuiahilapalapala Ka'iulani Cleghorn accomplished musician, artistic painter, horse rider, ballroom dancer, fashion exponent, public speaker, and surfer. She knew how to sew, appreciate museums, art, swim, familiar with horticulture and stamps, hula, athletics in addition to the disciplines she had been educated in..... is beyond expression.

In conducting a review of some of the available data on HRH Princess Ka'iulani a deep appreciation develops for the Ka'iulani Project those many individuals who researched and documented her short life. Jennifer Fahrni for one spent six years researching HRH Princess Ka'iulani's life story. Please see their website by clicking here:

http://www.thekaiulaniproject.com/index.htm

To those who maintain and keep the little Ka'iulani triangular park outside the 'Ohana East Hotel pristine year round a very sincere mahalo nui loa. If you go to "Street View" on Google and locate the Princess Ka'iulani Statute you can actually see two people caught on camera basking on the grass beneath the trees in the cool of the shade, one is an Oriental malihini with a couple of suitcases perhaps awaiting his coach and relaxing momentarily before the long journey home, while the other is obviously houseless, shirtless, unkempt jeans, and without footwear. If HRH Princess Ka'iulani statute came to life and looked over her right shoulder makai no doubt she would smile at the sight.

Let us suppose an officious HPD officer came on the scene and decided to move the houseless character (with the legislation the City has brought in against the houseless in the last few years that possibility exists). When appearing in a local ersatz U.S. court the vagrant having a good Kingdom friendly lawyer and media coverage claims he was exercising his civil rights under the Law of the Splintered Paddle, his lawyer claims the area is officially a Public Park known as "Ka'iulani Park" which belongs to all the people of Hawai'i and furthermore many local businesses are the true squatters and demanding to see their real estate Title of residential authority. 

In many ways this little triangle represents the changes in Hawai'i, when HRH Princess Ka'iulani as Ho'oilina Mo'i Wahine died in this area in 1899 the first automobiles were appearing in the islands, once there were 8 varieties of mango trees on the Estate and you can visualize her Father Archie contentedly conversing with the gardeners about the genus mangifera indicia (mangoes), while indoors his wife HRH Likelike is conversing with her lady friends over one of the two grand pianos about the often Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde personalities of the male of the species i.e. their respective husbands.

There were teak and cinnamon trees, bananas, bamboo, breadfruit, kukui, lily pond features in the shape of a shamrock watered by an artesian well,  an Indian tree with stunning red flowers, fresh vegetables and herbs directly to the kitchen window. Today the area is primary real estate 24/7 large money is being exchanged and transacted here, the area once renowned for ponds with overiding footbridges and huge tortoises lacks a cascading water feature to drown out the incessant volume of traffic and vehicle exhaust fumes or perpetual torch-light to her memory, unlike Foster Botanical Gardens a horticultural setting in an urbanized quarter there is neither true solace nor silence at Kuhio Avenue.

The sounds of nature that bring unique character to an area is now void unlike the good year of 1888 when the "Paradise of the Pacific" could claim: "As yet there is no hotel... in Waikiki," From hotels to candy stores the original authenticity found in her seven and a half foot alaia koa surfboard at Bishop Museum has vanished from crowded Waikiki. As Japanese playwright the late Yukio Mishima himself a onetime malihini to Hawai'i wrote of the gracefulness of youth and death in the Roman era: "heaven must have been beautiful then, today it must look dreadful."

14 varieties of hibiscus once grew here, it was said her parents brought hibiscus back to Hawai'i from their honeymoon in the South Pacific, there were date palms in the driveway to the house in which early morning shafts of sunlight streaked through the branches like a renaissance religious painting, the bountiful birds sang their sweet melody near the kapu sticks of Royalty at the entrance gate, the plumeria, ginger blossoms, among the numerous species of trees and shrubs are now a memory of transition to the kupuna no'eau, a loss the Pacific Commercial Advertiser termed "A severe shock to the sentiments."

The Ka'iulani banyan tree said to be the very first banyan in Hawai'i planted by her Father was cut down in 1949 by developers though cuttings from same were delivered elsewhere, how dear old Tusitala (R. L. Stevenson) would have cringed at the scene. You can see a not too often viewed old photograph of the banyan taken in 1899 by clicking here:

http://www.printsoldandrare.com/hawaii/014hi.jpg

 The Princess herself posted home seeds from England. This youthfulness was captivated by a reporter with the "The San Francisco Examiner" when he described HRH Princess Ka'iulani as "the very flower of civilization."

In less than a quarter of a century from riding the new fad of bicycles to being a founder member of the Hawaiian Red Cross Society at the time of the Spanish-American war, she saw more, done more, achieved more, and travelled more than the average lucky centenarian ever accomplishes in a hundred years. In this respect her short life has been and will always remain a tremendous source of inspiration to others, though losing her Royal birthright, losing her financial funding while in England following the unlawful overthrow, losing so many 'ohana, friends, and relatives she always retained her pili koko with pride in building bridges across cultural divides.

Some helpful websites for further information:

In May 1997 the "Honolulu Star Bulletin" ran an article pertaining to the sale of some of the correspondence of the late Princess Ka'iulani. The article is available by clicking here: http://archives.starbulletin.com/97/05/22/news/story2.html

As with so many other items of that era these memorabilia truly belong to all the people of Hawai'i, to be kept locally at Royal 'Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum, Hawaiian Historical Society, etc.

The Princess's travels around the British Isles and Europe are rather complex in relation to banquets, galas, and social events she attended and people she met, if interested you may have to consult the relevant books and archives about the Princess which are relatively numerous, this excellent online article is helpful for understanding some of her movements:

http://evols.library.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/handle/10524/450/JL33027.pdf?sequence=2

There are a number of videos about the Princess on youtube and the internet in general, this particular one shows Ainahau as it once was:

https://www.youtube.com/user/AlohaKaveBear

The lei chant "I Mauna Lahilahi ko Wehi" for Princess Ka'iulani composed in the mid-1880s with some slight later amendments is accessible here: 

http://apps.ksbe.edu/kaiwakiloumoku/kaleinamanu/essays/those_darned_traditionalists

This website is a source for obtaining ship passenger lists, however the local online Honolulu newspapers provided details if you have the arrival or departure date:

http://www.germanroots.com/onlinelists.html

Her Mother HRH Miriam Likelike was a talented composer of music and dedicated a mele to 'Ainahau the words of which you can find here in both Hawaiian & English:

http://www.huapala.org/ah/Ainahau.html

Curiously the Papa Ola Lokahi organization lists the 1887 death of HRH Likelike as being due to exhaustion from a miscarriage on a 2004 webpage while perfectly plausible it would be of interest to inquire as to precisely which medical reference of authority they relied upon for the assertion?:

http://www.papaolalokahi.org/coconut/news/pdf/POLhealth_timeline.pdf

The three failed attempts at annexation and the illegality of same under U.S. and International Law are outlined here:

http://www.alohaquest.com/arbitration/annexation_attempts.htm

If you are fortunate to attend the lei ceremony you may conceptualize the once wonderful fragrance of the  jasmine blossom (pikake) if you listen closely to the wind you may envision the fluttering sound of a peacock awaiting the feeding of biscuit crumbs at the hands of the Princess.

Up in Hanepepe, Kaua'i, simultaneously this Saturday the Keiki Fest takes place from 9.3o am right up to 4 pm honoring the Princess of Peacocks, there are free pony rides available honoring the memory of "Fairy" thanks to a kind local. Stage performances commence at 11 a.m., the keiki parade is scheduled for 1 p.m., and the birthday party 3-4 p.m. (Mahalo to the organizers!). You sense from your attendance you are in the presence of her enduring characteristic qualities the hallmarks of steadfastness, loyalty, and dedication to Ko Hawai'i Pae 'Aina. Wherever you are this weekend please spare a few moments of thought in particular this Sunday with your 'ohana to the memory of HRH Ka'iulani. Out of sight but that is all, she is not that far away at all. So while she sleeps and her voice is still, her mana lives on and always will.

Each of the above people left a legacy HRH Kalakaua pioneered innovation while embracing the past, HRH Likelike was a patron of culture & arts, HRH Ka'iulani was noted for her determination & intelligence she also liked time-out to reflect. Each of these human impulses can be channeled by others for the future. For the Hawaiian National this October 2011 can be assured whatever form it takes Hawai'i's future under Independence will incorporate a radically new form of administration and economics that is what makes it so exciting in enticing all valorous Hawaiian hearts, a'ohe hana nui ke alu 'ia, a design in the political arena rivaling Archibald Cleghorn's horticultural paradise at 'Ainahau.

To his eternal credit Poka Laenui is one of the few leaders who has in word, writing, and deed laid the groundwork for Hawaiian Independence and the economic model such as it would entail, in the future history may well ascribe Poka Laenui as being a definitive quintessential patriotic Hawaiian National. There are a series of excellent contemporary videos of him on the internet in philosophical debate with others on forthcoming Hawaiian Independence if you care to do a search, here is his old web-site:

http://www.hawaiianperspectives.org/Oldindex.html

Her Mother HRH Princess Likelike had years earlier composed a name chant for her Daughter:

"Famous will the name of Ka'iulani be.... from the shores to the uplands of the World...... with gentle eyes bringing honor to your ancestors."

Over at the Princess Ka'iulani School on N. King Street where her name is revered and honored annually on her birthday and which possesses the treasured plaque from the Ka'iulani banyan tree at 'Ainhau a cutting from which grows the banyan tree in a corner of the school playground, na haumana will honor her memory today Friday with the Royal Hawaiian Band, their school mission statement would make Crown Princess Ka'iulani proud:

AN 'OHANA OF LIFELONG LEARNERS STRIVING FOR EXCELLENCE ONE STEP AT A TIME.

- Mahalo for taking the time to read. 'Onipa'a.