Did you know that one US state once had a royal family? Here’s the story of ‘Iolani Palace, and how Hawaii came to be the 50th state.
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I visited ‘Iolani Palace during my budget stay in Waikiki, Honolulu. To skip the historical stuff and go straight to how to visit ‘Iolani Palace, scroll on down to the bottom!
How Hawaii got a king
In ancient Hawaiian society, each island was governed by its own separate ruler- a chief who was believed to be a direct descendant of Papa- the very first Polynesian. But on the island of Hawai’i, Kamehameha the Great was getting antsy, and liked the look of the European way of doing things. In 1795, Kamehameha and his army conquered the islands of O’ahu, Maui, Moloka’i and Lana’i, and by 1810 Kauai’s chief also swore allegiance to Kamehameha.
So there you have it- BOOM. Hawaii had a king, and an actual Royal Family.
The unification of the Hawaiian islands meant massive changes to their way of life, as the royal family adopted more and more European ways.
More Hawaiian adventures: How to get to Diamond Head from Waikiki
The upside of all this was the massive leaps in progress. Over the eighty years that the Kingdom of Hawaii officially existed, education improved, women were given more rights, and international trade was a massive success. Brilliant times! The Kingdom had a strong relationship with the United Kingdom, and when King Kamehameha I was given a Union Flag as a symbol of friendship, it was adopted into the official flag of Hawaii. (In fact, the Hawaiian flag still features the Union Jack, to this day.)
The downside was that the influx of Europeans and North Americans arriving in the Kingdom of Hawaii, brought all manner of nasty illnesses with them. And the native Hawaiians had absolutely no immunity to this. The majority of these new settlers to the Kingdom of Hawaii formed an elite class of missionaries and planters, and gradually certain important elements of Hawaiian culture began to disappear; sometimes forcibly, as the Christian missionaries deemed the local customs and beliefs to be pagan.
So what about the I’olani Palace?
King Kalakaua- who was actually the last king of Hawaii- built the ‘Iolani Palace in 1882, on the site of an ancient place of worship. And let me tell you this for free- it is absolutely stunning.
‘Iolani Palace was the official place of residence for the last Hawaiian monarchs, and it was here that they held all manner of lavish celebrations and entertained a whole bunch of high society. Not only it aesthetically incredible, but at the time ‘Iolani was a modern wonder, with electricity, plumbing AND an actual working telephone.
The ‘Iolani Palace was kind of a big deal.
By European standards, the palace isn’t particularly big. But what it lacks in size, it makes up for in opulence. Inside is a grand entrance hall with portraits of every monarch adorning the walls, a crimson throne room with golden thrones and lavishly draped windows, and a stunning state dining room with carved rosewood furniture. Upstairs are the family suites, and my favourite room- the music room, decorated in yellow with the ivory tusks of an elephant in one corner.
And don’t even get me started on the carpets. I am a true fan.
So, stylistically, this Polynesian palace isn’t too dissimilar from the palaces of Europe at all. But somehow, despite the obvious European influence, it still seems distinctly Hawaiian.
The imprisonment of Queen Liliuokalani
In 1887, King Kalakaua sent his wife Queen Kapiolani to London- to attend the Golden Jubilee celebration of Queen Victoria, on his behalf. Off Kapiolani sailed, but while she was away the king was forced to sign away much of the monarchy’s power. This was the beginning of the end for the Hawaiian royals. The United States were ultimately rather interested in having Hawaii for themselves, largely down to the lucrative sugar cane industry on the islands. (Bit greedy if you ask me, but then what do I know?)
The native Hawaiians, generally speaking- were not up for this at all.
The United States were given exclusive use of Pearl Harbour, and US businesses in Hawaii were also given massive commercial concessions. Voting rights were taken away from native Hawaiians and the many Asian residents of Hawaii. And it seemed, thanks to this new constitution, that there was nothing that could be done about it.
After the king died in 1891, the throne went to his sister Liliuokalani- who attempted to regain the monarchy’s political power by rewriting the constitution. (Again.)
She was not a fan of this gradual creeping takeover by US businessmen. And the US businessmen were not a fan of her.
A solo trip to Kauai, the garden island of Hawaii
Eventually, after massive civil unrest in Hawaii, the Missionary Party- backed by the US military- forced Queen Liliuokalani to abdicate. Despite the intervention of the US president, who declared that the whole thing was completely illegal, the Missionary Party would not back down. They formed a new government and declared that Hawaii was now a Republic.
When loyalists tried to overthrow the new government, the queen was imprisoned in her bedroom in ‘Iolani Palace for eight months. If she wouldn’t sign a formal abdication from the throne, her supporters would be killed. If she signed it- and gave up her power- they lived.
Well, if that’s not a stressful situation to be in, I don’t know what is. The queen felt she had no choice but to officially sign away the Kingdom.
The Queen’s quilt
It’s rather humbling to visit the room that the queen was imprisoned in at ‘Iolani Palace. Eight months is a long time to be cooped up in a room for, let alone when the fate of your entire country rests on your actions.
In a giant glass case in the middle of the (actually rather dark) room, is a quilt. Queen Liliuokalani stitched the kaleidoscopic masterpiece from silk threads, ribbons, hatbands and pieces of old clothes, during her imprisonment. Here and there, there are words embroidered onto it- ‘Imprisoned at ‘Iolani Palace,’ significant dates, and the names of her friends and supporters. Hawaiian flags, tree roots and animals float across the fabric, painstakingly stitched on to the patchwork fabrics.
The quilt isn’t just a beautiful artefact, but it tells the entire emotional story of a woman’s imprisonment.
What happened after Hawaii was annexed?
Hawaii was annexed by the United States in 1898. The Hawaiian language was banned, along with many symbols of native Hawaiian culture and customs. In 1959 Hawaii officially became the 50th US state.
Let’s be honest here, pals. This whole Hawaii situation was suspicious to say the least. Was the overthrowing of the Hawaiian family legal?
It’s doubtful.
Whilst every US state is different from the next, Hawaii is special. The culture is rooted in ancient Polynesian traditions, and thankfully over the past decades there has been a resurgence of interest and enthusiasm for these. Luaus, hula, malama aina (taking care of the land, and the land taking care of you in return), are all uniquely Hawaiian traditions and rituals which have returned to society. And finally in the 1980s, the ban on teaching the Hawaiian language was lifted.
How to visit the ‘Iolani Palace
To visit ‘Iolani Palace, you can either book onto a self-guided audio tour, or a guided tour with an actual human being. With either option, entrances are only at certain times- so you’ll need to be on time or risk losing your slot. (Also to pick up some funky looking shoe covers to protect the carpets.)
And obviously, visiting the palace during Covid-19 times is a little different to under normal circumstances. Check the website for opening times and make sure you book a tour in advance. Walk-ins are currently not allowed, and there are stricter limits on how many people enter the building at a time.
Guided tours (as in, with an actual human guide) of ‘Iolani Palace cost $27 per adult, and self-guided audio tours cost $20. I booked onto the audio tour because I’m a true dawdler, and it took me about an hour and forty-five minutes to get around the palace.
Visit the official website for all the details and ticket booking techniques.
Logistical Statisticals
- The Royal Hawaiian Band plays every Friday at noon in the grounds of the ‘Iolani Palace. And it’s free!
- Public transport in Honolulu is really easy to navigate. It takes around 25 minutes to travel by bus from Waikiki to ‘Iolani Palace, for the price of a mere $2.75! Or, get a day ticket for $5.50.
- From Waikiki, you can catch the Oahu Bus number 2 or 13 to ‘Iolani Palace. To return you can catch the 2,13,19,20, or 42. So you’re basically spoilt for choice on the bus front.
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