Victoria Kawēkiu Kaʻiulani Lunalilo Kalaninuiahilapalapa Cleghorn was born October 16, 1875, in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. She was heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaii and held the title of Crown Princess. Her mother was Princess Miriam Likelike. Through her mother she was descended from High Chief Kepo'okalani, the first cousin of Kamehameha the Great on the side of Kamehameha's mother, Queen Keku'iapoiwa II. Her mother was also sister of King Kalakaua & Queen Lili'uokalani. Her father was, Archibald Scott Cleghorn, a Scottish financier from Edinburgh and the last Royal Governor of Oahu. She was baptized Christmas Day 1875, Princess Ruth Ke'elikolani stood as her godmother. Ka'iulani was named after her maternal aunt, Anna Kai'ulani, who died young and Queen Victoria of England, who helped restore the monarchy and independence of the Kingdom of Hawaii, during the reign of Kamehameha III. The name Ka'iulani comes from "ka 'iu lani" which means, "highest point of heaven" or "royal sacred one", in the Hawaiian language. Upon her birth she was gifted the estate of Ainahau in Waikiki, by her godmother. She inherited it upon the death of her mother, when she was only 11.
Because Ka'iulani was second in line to the throne, after her aunt, who was elderly and childless, it was determined she would go to England to receive a "British education". So in 1889, when she was 13, Ka'iulani was sent to Great Harrowden Hall, in Northamptonshire, England, to receive a private education. Art and music were a integral part of her education at Harrowden: she grew up knowing painters Joseph Dwight Strong, a landscape painter in her uncle's court and Isabel Strong, Isabel was one of her mother's ladies-in-waiting. Isabel was the stepdaughter of Robert Louis Stevenson, Stevenson described Ka'iulani as "an island rose" in a poem he wrote in her autobiography. Ka'iulani spent most of her formative years at Great Harrowden Hall. Ka'iulani excelled in Latin, literature, mathematics & history, as well as, French, German & sports (mostly tennis & cricket).
In 1892, Ka'iulani made a new start and moved to Brighton, she was chaperoned and tutored by Mrs. Rooke, who set up a curriculum that included; English, German & French. The village by the sea pleased her & she regained her enthusiasm. Ka'iulani continued to study in England for the next 4 years, despite originally being told she would only be staying one year. Her family and guardians in Hawaii had planned for her to go on a tour of Europe and had even arranged for a meeting with Queen Victoria but it was not to be.
The year before, King Kalakaua had tried to arrange a marriage between Prince Higashifushimi Yorihito of Japan and Ka'iulani, in hopes of creating an alliance between Japan and Hawaii. However the prince turned down the offer as he was already betrothed to a Japanese noblewoman, Arima Yoriko.
During her absence, turmoil erupted in Hawaii. King Kalakaua died in 1891 and Princess Lydia Lili'uokalani became queen. She immediately named Ka'iulani as her heir, making Ka'iulani Crown Princess. In 1893, the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown and the new government attempted to join the US. Ka'iulani received the tragic news on January 30, 1893, in a short telegram that read, "Queen deposed, Monarchy Abrogated, Break news to princess".
Ka'iulani cancelled her plans and travelled to the US. Before leaving she made a statement to the English press, "Four years ago, at the request of Mr. Thurston, then a Hawaiian Cabinet Minister, I was sent away to England to be educated privately and fitted to the position which by the constitution of Hawaii I was to inherit. For all these years, I have patiently and in exile striven to fit myself for my return this year to my native country. I am now told that Mr. Thurston will be in Washington, asking you to take away my flag and my throne. No one tells me even this officially. Have I done anything wrong that this wrong should be done to me and my people? I am coming to Washington to plead for my throne, my nation and my flag. Will not the great American people hear me?".
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Women who Ruled
Non-FictionThese women were rare examples of women holding power in a male-dominated world. Many went on to became beacons of hope, strength and perserverance to their respective peoples. They are remembered for their beauty, intelligence, bravery and unwaveri...
