Saturday Briefing

By Kathy Hansberry

Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and OHANA Hotels & Resorts will commemorate the birthday of Princess Victoria Kawekiu Lunalilo Kalaninuiahilapalapa Ka‘iulani Cleghorn (1875-1899) with a special lei draping ceremony on Thursday, October 16, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., at the Princess Ka‘iulani Traingle Park across from the OHANA East hotel. The ceremony will begin with a conch blowing and Oli (chant) followed by acknowledgement of various Hawaiian Societies, including the ‘Ahahui Ka‘iulani. This event is free and open to the public.

The Princess Ka‘iulani statue was commissioned in 1999 by Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and the Kelley family as part of their commitment to restoring Waikiki’s history and honoring the life of the princess. The bronze statue of Ka‘iulani was created by artist/sculptor Jan Gordon Fisher, and was formally dedicated to the people of Hawaii and Waikiki on October 16, 1999. It stands 7.5 feet tall and weighs 800 pounds. The Princess is featured wearing a Victorian dress and a lei of her favorite flower, the pikake (Chinese jasmine). Ka‘iulani, who adored peacocks, is shown feeding a peacock at her feet.

Princess Ka‘iulani statue at the Princess Ka‘iulani Traingle Park across from the OHANA East hotel

Princess Ka‘iulani was born in 1875 to Princess Miriam Likelike, the sister of King Kalakaua and Queen Lili‘uokalani, and Governor Archibald Scott Cleghorn. She was the only child born to the last ruling dynasty of the Hawaiian Kingdom. During the 19th century, Ka‘iulani and her parents acquired 12 acres of land in the vicinity of where the OHANA East hotel now stands in Waikiki. After the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, Ka‘iulani returned to Hawaii from her schooling in Europe and fought for the return of the throne to her aunt, Lili‘uokalani. Distraught over the loss of the kingdom, Ka‘iulani visited with friends on the Big Island of Hawaii. After riding her horse in a rainstorm, Ka‘iulani took ill and never fully recovered. The princess died on March 6, 1899, at the age of 23.

This event is sponsored in part by the Mayor’s Office on Culture & the Arts and the OHANA East hotel as part of Outrigger’s ongoing commitment to preserving and sharing our islands’ contemporary and ancient culture.