Hawaiian Dynasties
Using stratigraphic archaeology and refinements in radiocarbon dating, studies suggest it was about 1000-1200 AD that “Polynesian explorers first made their remarkable voyage from central Eastern Polynesia Islands, across the doldrums and into the North Pacific, to discover Hawai‘i.” (Kirch)
“(I)n the earliest times all the people were alii … it was only after the lapse of several generations that a division was made into commoners and chiefs” (Malo) Kamakau noted, in early Hawaiʻi “The parents were masters over their own family group … No man was made chief over another.” Essentially, the extended family was the socio, biological, economic, and political unit.
The arrival of Pā‘ao from Tahiti in about the thirteenth century resulted in the establishment (or, at least expanded upon) a religious and political code in old Hawai`i, collectively called the kapu system.
Fornander writes that prior to the period of Pā‘ao “… the kapu (forbidden actions) were few and the ceremonials easy; that human sacrifices were not practiced, and cannibalism unknown; and that government was more of a patriarchal than of a regal nature.”
Until European contact, Hawai‘i was a highly stratified society with strictly maintained castes. The ali‘i (chiefs) headed the social pyramid and ruled over the land. Highly regarded and sometimes feared, the kahuna (professionals) were experts on religious ritual or specialists in canoe-building, herbal medicine, and healing.
The maka‘āinana (commoners) farmed and fished; built walls, houses, and fishponds; and paid taxes to the paramount chiefs and his chiefs. Kauwā, the lowest class, were outcasts or slaves. (NPS)
Each Hawaiian was born into a class of people, and at the top were the rulers, a small but powerful class of chiefs, known as the aliʻi and in those days, the aliʻi was the government.
Of all the people, it was the ali‘i who held the greatest respect and the one whom no one questioned. But this class of royalty did not just consist of the chief and his family, the aliʻi or the government system was more complicated and consisted of more than what most people think of when they hear of the Aliʻi. (Seleska)
When Kamehameha I unified the islands under a single rule, dynasties emerged and references of “King” and “Queen” were given to these new monarchies.
The Kamehameha Dynasty ruled for nearly a century from the late 1700s to the late 1800s, while the Kalākaua Dynasty ruled from 1874 to 1893. These Ali‘i monarchs continued to rule Hawai‘i until Queen Lili‘uokalani was forced out of rule and the Hawaiian Monarchy was overthrown.
Kamehameha I, Kamehameha the Great (reign 1782-1819)
Born in North Kohala on the Big Island, Kamehameha united all the major islands under one rule in 1810.
Kamehameha II, Liholiho (reign 1819-1824)
The son of Kamehameha and his sacred wife Keopūolani, Liholiho overthrew the ancient kapu system by allowing men and women of the court to eat together. At the same time, he announced that the heiau (temples) should be destroyed.
Kamehameha III, Kauikeaouli (reign 1825-1854)
Born in Keauhou, the younger brother of Liholiho had the longest reign. He was not yet a teenager when he was proclaimed king in 1825 under a regency with Ka‘ahumanu, his father’s favorite queen.
Kamehameha IV, Alexander Liholiho (reign 1854-1863)
The nephew of Kauikeaouli, Alexander Liholiho was the grandson of Kamehameha I. He ascended to the throne after the death of his uncle in December of 1854.
Kamehameha V, Lot Kapuaiwa Kamehameha (reign 1863-1872)
Four years older than his brother Kamehameha IV, Lot would also rule for just nine years. Lot Kamehameha did not name a successor, which led to the invoking of the constitutional provision for electing kings of Hawai‘i.
William Charles Lunalilo (reign 1873-1874)
The grandson of a half-brother of Kamehameha I, Lunalilo defeated David Kalākaua to become the first king to be elected. He offered many amendments to the Constitution of 1864, such as abolishing the property qualifications for voting.
David Kalākaua (reign 1874-1891)
Kalākaua was the first king in history to visit the United States. “The Merry Monarch” was fond of old Hawaiian customs, and he attempted to restore the people’s lost heritage. King Kalākaua built ‘Iolani Palace.
Queen Lydia Kamakaeha Lili‘uokalani (reign 1891-1893)
In 1891, upon the death of her brother, King Kalākaua, Queen Lili‘uokalani succeeded to the throne. Queen Lili‘uokalani was the last monarch of the Hawaiian Islands.
British Royalty
The origins of kingship in England can be traced to the second century BC when Celtic and Belgic tribesmen emigrated from continental Europe and settled in Britain, displacing or absorbing the aboriginal inhabitants. The settlers established a number of tribal kingdoms.
Celtic Britain moved through the Roman invasion to the Norman Conquest of 1066 and the establishment of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and the coming of Christianity and the unification of England. (National Portrait Gallery)
Fast forward to 1701, the British Parliament passed a law called the Act of Settlement. The law stipulated that only a Protestant could be king or queen of Britain. Roman Catholics were removed from the line of succession.
Then came the house of Hanover, a British royal house of German origin. The dynasty descended from George Louis of Hanover (a region of Germany), who succeeded to the British crown as George I in 1714.
The dynasty also provided the monarchs George II, George III, George IV, William IV, and Victoria. The six Hanoverian monarchs ruled Great Britain between 1714 and 1901. The dynasty was succeeded by the house of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, which was renamed in 1917 the house of Windsor.
George II (reign 1727-1760)
George II was the son of George I. George II became known for his bravery during military conflicts, such as the War of the Spanish Succession. George II played a key role in military engagements, including the French and Indian War, where British successes shaped a pivotal era in British history. His reign also witnessed significant advancements in the economy, culture, and the establishment of cabinet government, balancing the powers of the Crown and Parliament.
George III (reign 1760-1820)
George III succeeded his grandfather, George II, in the midst of the Seven Years’ War/French and Indian War (1756–63). Having ascended to the throne at just 22, George III’s dramatic reign included the American Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and expansion of the British Empire.
However, his reign is often most remembered for the illness that plagued his later life. He was declared unfit to rule in 1810, when his son George IV – one of 15 children – became Regent. (Britannica)
George IV (reign 1820-1830)
Son of George III, George IV was known for his extravagant spending, gambling and womanizing. Once married in secret to a Roman Catholic, his only legitimate heir with his second wife Caroline, Princess Charlotte, died in 1817 while he was still on the throne.
William IV (reign 1830-1837)
The brother of George IV, William never expected to become king. As a young man he served in the Royal Navy during the American War of Independence, and as king he oversaw major parliamentary reform. He was determined to live long enough to see his niece, Victoria, reach her majority, ensuring she would accede the throne directly.
Victoria (reign 1837-1901)
Niece of William IV, Victoria inherited the throne through her father Edward, the fourth son of George III. Victoria’s was the second longest reign in British history. (Queen Elizabeth II was longest over 70 years, 214 days.) Remembered for her strict moral values, she oversaw further expansion of the British Empire and the Industrial Revolution, and with her beloved Prince Albert.
For an expanded discussion, including interactions between the Hawaiian and British monarchs, go here: https://imagesofoldhawaii.com/wp-content/uploads/Hawaiian_and_British_Royalty.pdf
