Life
Kapiʻolani was born December 31, 1834 in Hilo on Hawaiʻi Island to High Chief Kuhio Kalanianaʻole of Hilo and Princess Kinoiki Kekaulike of Kauaʻi, the Nīʻaupiʻo daughter of King Kaumualiʻi, last King of an independent Kauaʻi before its amicable cession to Kamehameha the Great. She was also the step-granddaughter of Queen Regent Kaʻahumanu by virtue of Kaahumanu's marriage to Kaumualiʻi. She was named Esther Kapiʻolani, after her great-aunt High Chiefess Kapiʻolani, who defied the goddess Pele in the name of Christianity, and the Biblical queen Esther. Some called her incorrectly as Julia. "Julia" was derived from Kapiʻolani's personal motto, "Kulia I Ka Nuʻu"; "Strive for the Highest". Because of this many books show that her first name to be Julia.
Kapiolani's first marriage was to High Chief Benjamin Nāmākēhāokalani or sometimes called Bennet Namakeha. He was 35 years older than Kapiʻolani. He was uncle of Queen Emma on her father George Naea's side. This made her the widowed aunt of Queen Emma. Kapiʻolani was the caretaker of Haku O Hawaiʻi, Prince Albert Kamehameha. Queen Emma blamed Kapiolani for the child's death as he was under Kapiolani's care at the time.
Kapiʻolani married Kalākaua in a quiet ceremony because their wedding fell during the time of mourning for King Kamehameha IV. She and Kalākaua were childless so she and her sister Poʻomaikelani hānai (adopted) their sister Victoria Kinoiki Kekaulike's three sons. Kapiʻolani took David and Jonah and Poʻomaikelani took Edward. David established the House of Kawānanakoa which would eventually succeed the House of Kalākaua.
In 1887, Queen Kapiʻolani traveled to London to attend Queen Victoria's 50th Jubilee celebration. Princess Liliʻuokalani, King Kalākaua's sister, traveled with Kapiʻolani as her interpreter since though Kapiʻolani was brought up understanding English, she refused to speak anything but Hawaiian. The Hawaiian Royal family were treated as dignitaries, and were seated with the British Royal family in the front of Westminster Abbey.
Queen Kapiʻolani established the Kapiʻolani Maternity Home, where Hawaiian mothers could receive care, as well as their newborn babies. It survives today as the Kapiʻolani Medical Center. Kapiʻolani Park in Waikīkī was named after the Queen by her husband Kalākaua. One of her noted compositions to Hawaiian music was a love song she wrote for her husband, Ka Ipo Lei Manu. Kalākaua died in San Francisco before he could hear the musical composition from his Queen.
Read more about this topic: Queen Kapiolani
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—Robert Bridges (1844–1930)