Hawaiian royalty, the heir to the throne of the Kingdom who held the title of Crown Princess. Ka?iulani became known throughout the world for her intelligence and determination. After the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893, she visited the United States to help restore the kingdom; she made many speeches and public appearances denouncing the overthrow of her government and the injustice toward her people. While in Washington, D.C., she paid an informal visit to U.S. President Grover Cleveland and First Lady Frances Cleveland, but her efforts could not prevent eventual annexation.
Through her mother, Ka?iulani was descended from High Chief Kepo?okalani, the first cousin of Kamehameha the Great on the side of Kamehameha’s mother, Keku?iapoiwa II. Her mother was also a sister of King Kal?kaua and Queen Lili?uokalani. Ka?iulani’s father was Archibald Scott Cleghorn, a Scottish financier from Edinburgh and the last Royal Governor of O?ahu.
Because Princess Ka?iulani was second in line to the throne after her elderly and childless aunt, the young girl was expected to eventually become Queen. In 1889, at the age of 13, Ka?iulani was sent to England and given a private education. Following the overthrow of her Aunt, Queen Lili?uokalani, on 17 January 1893 by the Big Five, she went to New York.
During her absence, much turmoil occurred back in Hawaii. King Kalakaua died in 1891, and Princess Lydia Lili?uokalani became Queen. Lili?uokalani immediately appointed Ka?iulani as her heir, and Ka?iulani became the Crown Princess. In 1893, the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown and the new government attempted to become a part of the United States.
The pro-annexation press of the time often treated Ka?iulani with contempt, referring to her in print as a half-breed, or calling her “dusky”, although she did not receive the blatantly racist treatment repeatedly given her aunt.
Ka?iulani returned to Hawaii in 1897. The return to a warmer climate did not help her health. Numerous documented symptoms may indicate she suffered from thyroid disease, which would help explain her early death.
With the approval of Queen Lili?uokalani and Queen Dowager Kapi?olani and in compliance with the last Hawaiian constitution, Princess Ka?iulani and Prince Kaw?nanakoa announced their engagement on 3 February 1898.
In 1898, while on a horse ride in the mountains of Hawaii Island, Ka?iulani was caught in a storm and came down with a fever and pneumonia. Earlier she had caught cold, and this worsened matters. Ka?iulani was brought back to Oahu where her health continued to decline. She died on 6 March 1899 at the age of 23 of inflammatory rheumatism.
Ka?iulani loved peacocks. She grew up enjoying the company of a flock originally belonging to her mother, and is sometimes called the “Peacock Princess”. In March 2017, Hawai?i Magazine ranked her among a list of the most influential women in Hawaiian history.
Link to Wikipedia biography