Kamamalu
Encyclopedia
Kamāmalu Kalani-Kuaana-o-Kamehamalu-Kekuaiwa-o-kalani-Kealii-Hoopili-a-Walu (1802–1824) was Queen consort of the Kingdom of Hawaii
as the wife of King Kamehameha II
. She is not to be confused with Princess Victoria Kamāmalu
who was her niece. Kamāmalu was short for Kamehamalu or Kamehamehamalu meaning "the Shade of the Lonely One", honoring her father, "the Lonely One".
.
Her younger sister Kinau
was also wife of Kamehameha II as was their half-sister Miriam Auhea Kekauluohi
through their mother Kalakua Kaheiheimalie. Even though her husband had four other wives (two of them her sisters and the two others her nieces), Kamāmalu was her husband's favorite wife.
In 1823, she joined a royal procession honoring her husband's accession to the throne in a car modeled as a whaleboat
. It was fastened to a platform 30 feet (9.1 m) long by 12 feet (3.7 m) wide and borne by 70 men. The boat was lined and the whole platform covered with fine imported broadcloth and tapa cloth
of rich colors. The only dress of the queen was a scarlet silk Paū, (a feather cloak
), and a coronet of feathers. She was seated in the middle of the boat, and screened from the sun by an immense Chinese umbrella of scarlet damask, ornamented with gilding and tassels, supported by a chief standing behind her in a scarlet loincloth and feather helmet
. On the boat stood Prime Minister Kalanimoku
and national orator Naihe
in feathered helmets and bearing a kahili or feather staff of state.
Queen Kamāmalu had a tattoo
applied to her tongue as an expression of her deep grief when her mother-in-law Queen Keōpūolani
died in 1823. Missionary William Ellis watched the procedure, commenting to the queen that she must be undergoing great pain. The queen replied, "He eha nui no, he nui roa ra ku‘u aroha." (Great pain indeed, greater is my affection.)
In 1823, Kamehameha II and Kamāmalu left the Sandwich Islands for London, arriving there in May 1824 for a state visit with King George IV
. In London
the royal party were fitted with the latest fashion and attended opera and ballet at the Theatre Royal
in Drury Lane.
Many ladies of London sought the patterns of the turban that adorned her head. She attracted attention because she stood over six feet tall and was strikingly beautiful. She and her husband were the first Hawaiian monarchs to visit England. While in London, Kamāmalu contracted measles and died on July 8. Six days later her grief-stricken husband also died of the measles. Their bodies were placed in coffins and taken back to Hawaii on the . At first they were buried in a coral house on the grounds of the Iolani Palace, but were later moved to the Royal Mausoleum
in Nuuanu Valley of Oahu
island.
Kingdom of Hawaii
The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...
as the wife of King Kamehameha II
Kamehameha II
Kamehameha II was the second king of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His birth name was Liholiho and full name was Kalaninui kua Liholiho i ke kapu Iolani...
. She is not to be confused with Princess Victoria Kamāmalu
Kaahumanu IV
Victoria Kamāmalu Kaahumanu IV , was Kuhina Nui of Hawaii and its crown princess. Princess Kamāmalu is one of Hawaii's less notable historical figures...
who was her niece. Kamāmalu was short for Kamehamalu or Kamehamehamalu meaning "the Shade of the Lonely One", honoring her father, "the Lonely One".
Life
She was the eldest daughter of Queen Kalākua Kaheiheimālie and King Kamehameha IKamehameha I
Kamehameha I , also known as Kamehameha the Great, conquered the Hawaiian Islands and formally established the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1810. By developing alliances with the major Pacific colonial powers, Kamehameha preserved Hawaii's independence under his rule...
.
Her younger sister Kinau
Kaahumanu II
Princess Kalani Ahumanu i Kaliko o Iwi Kauhipua o Kīnau, also known as Elizabeth Kīnau was Kuhina Nui of the Kingdom of Hawaii as Kaahumanu II, Queen regent and Dowager Queen.-Life:...
was also wife of Kamehameha II as was their half-sister Miriam Auhea Kekauluohi
Kaahumanu III
Queen consort Miriam Auhea Kalani Kui Kawakiu o Kekāuluohi Kealiiuhiwaihanau o Kalani Makahonua Ahilapalapa Kai Wikapu o Kaleilei a Kalakua also known as Kaahumanu III , was Kuhina Nui of the Kingdom of Hawaii, a queen consort of both King Kamehameha I and Kamehameha II, and mother of another...
through their mother Kalakua Kaheiheimalie. Even though her husband had four other wives (two of them her sisters and the two others her nieces), Kamāmalu was her husband's favorite wife.
In 1823, she joined a royal procession honoring her husband's accession to the throne in a car modeled as a whaleboat
Whaleboat
A whaleboat is a type of open boat that is relatively narrow and pointed at both ends, enabling it to move either forwards or backwards equally well. It was originally developed for whaling, and later became popular for work along beaches, since it does not need to be turned around for beaching or...
. It was fastened to a platform 30 feet (9.1 m) long by 12 feet (3.7 m) wide and borne by 70 men. The boat was lined and the whole platform covered with fine imported broadcloth and tapa cloth
Tapa cloth
Tapa cloth is a bark cloth made in the islands of the Pacific Ocean, primarily in Tonga, Samoa and Fiji, but as far afield as Niue, Cook Islands, Futuna, Solomon Islands, Java, New Zealand, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea and Hawaii...
of rich colors. The only dress of the queen was a scarlet silk Paū, (a feather cloak
Feather cloak
Featherwork cloaks have been used by several cultures.-Hawaii:Elaborate feather cloaks called [[ʻahuʻula]] were created by early Hawaiians for the alii .Feathers were also used in women's skirts called pāū....
), and a coronet of feathers. She was seated in the middle of the boat, and screened from the sun by an immense Chinese umbrella of scarlet damask, ornamented with gilding and tassels, supported by a chief standing behind her in a scarlet loincloth and feather helmet
Mahiole
Hawaiian feather helmets, known as mahiole in the Hawaiian language, were worn with [[ʻahuʻula | feather cloaks (ʻahu ʻula)]]. These were symbols of the highest rank reserved for the men of the alii, the chiefly class of Hawaii. There are examples of this traditional headgear in museums around the...
. On the boat stood Prime Minister Kalanimoku
Kalanimoku
William Pitt Kalanimoku was a High Chief who functioned similar to a prime minister of the Hawaiian Kingdom during the reigns of Kamehameha I, Kamehameha II and the beginning of the reign of Kamehameha III. He was called The Iron Cable of Hawaii because of his abilities.-Life:Kalanimoku was born ...
and national orator Naihe
Naihe
Naihe was the chief orator and councilor during the founding of the Kingdom of Hawaii. A champion athlete in his youth, he negotiated for peace at several critical times, and helped preserve the remains of several ancient leaders.-Early life:...
in feathered helmets and bearing a kahili or feather staff of state.
Queen Kamāmalu had a tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
applied to her tongue as an expression of her deep grief when her mother-in-law Queen Keōpūolani
Keopuolani
Kalanikauikaalaneo Kai Keōpūolani-Ahu-i-Kekai-Makuahine-a-Kama-Kalani-Kau-i-Kealaneo was a queen consort of Hawaii and the highest ranking wife of King Kamehameha I.-Early life:...
died in 1823. Missionary William Ellis watched the procedure, commenting to the queen that she must be undergoing great pain. The queen replied, "He eha nui no, he nui roa ra ku‘u aroha." (Great pain indeed, greater is my affection.)
In 1823, Kamehameha II and Kamāmalu left the Sandwich Islands for London, arriving there in May 1824 for a state visit with King George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
. In London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
the royal party were fitted with the latest fashion and attended opera and ballet at the Theatre Royal
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
in Drury Lane.
Many ladies of London sought the patterns of the turban that adorned her head. She attracted attention because she stood over six feet tall and was strikingly beautiful. She and her husband were the first Hawaiian monarchs to visit England. While in London, Kamāmalu contracted measles and died on July 8. Six days later her grief-stricken husband also died of the measles. Their bodies were placed in coffins and taken back to Hawaii on the . At first they were buried in a coral house on the grounds of the Iolani Palace, but were later moved to the Royal Mausoleum
Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii
The Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii, known as Mauna Ala in the Hawaiian language, is the final resting place of Hawaii's two prominent royal families: the Kamehameha Dynasty and the Kalākaua Dynasty.-Description:...
in Nuuanu Valley of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
island.