2024-01-17 10:00:00
The reina Lili’uokalani of Hawaii (1838-1917), also known as Lydia Kamaka’ehahe boasted that through his veins ran english blood. She said it solemnly as she took a sip of Ceylon tea in front of a group of aristocratic British ladies in one of those palaces that rise in the green meadows of blonde Albion.
A series of coughs and throat clearings followed the queen’s statement, while the ladies – countesses and duchesses – exchanged knowing glances, until one dared to comment: “He must have been a sailor…”. Queen Lydia giggled, covered her mouth with her gloved hand, and said without blushing “No, no… I have been misunderstood, one of my ancestors ate the captain cook…”.
Lydia’s mother, Analea Keohokālole, had been an advisor to King Kamehameha III, a descendant of the first monarch of that name, who had signed with Captain Hipólito Bouchard the first international recognition of Argentine independence (needless to say, Bouchard had much more lucky Cook).
Lydia was not meant to be queen, but he had received a careful education at the royal infantry school, where he learned languages, European literature and music. Although she was engaged to a crown prince, she ended up marrying a representative of the American government, John Owen Dominis.
In 1874, his life took a Copernican turn when his brother Kalākaua (1836-1891) ascended the throne of Hawaii. He was known as “the cheerful monarch” and became the first traveling king; Since 1881 he toured the United States, Japan, China, India, Egypt, several European countries including England and the Vatican.
A satellite captured the shocking eruption of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii
Kalākaua wanted to build a Polynesian empire…but, under pressure from the European powers, he was forced to sign a new constitution that limited the rights of the monarch, restricted the native vote and allowed foreigners to vote. They called this curious constitution “of the bayonet”, because that had been the instrument used by the Americans to convince the monarch to change his mind. There was even a revolution to restore the power of the monarchy, but it failed.
The truth is that while his brother became the first transhumant king, Lydia took charge of public affairs every time he traveled around the world, until due to kidney failure, Kalākaua had to travel to the United States from where he returned in a coffin. He is remembered today for having claimed the dance of the hula hulaconsidered immoral and prohibited by Christian missionaries.
With Kalākaua’s death, her sister ascended the throne as the first queen of Hawaii, not knowing that she would be the last.
Ingenious, talented and lucid, the last queen was a defender of her people’s legacyalthough North American influence, the main importer of goods from Hawaii, proposed forced annexation to the United States.
Lydia tried to abolish the Constitution with bayonets, but failed and she was forced to abdicate on January 17, 1893 to avoid bloodshed among his subjects.
In 1885, a royalist rebellion failed who intended to reinstate her on the Hawaiian throne and expel the Americans. The queen was arrested, tried and condemned. At first, she wanted to impose five years of hard labor, but the sentence was commuted to confinement in one of the rooms of her palace. At the end of her days, she lived on a pension and income from her properties. She dedicated herself to writing a book on the history of her nation and composing musical works such as You are welcome (“Goodbye to you”) and Makalupa.
Until his death in 1917, he continued to call for the violent annexation of Hawaii to the United States. Only in 1993, the president Bill Clinton apologized on behalf of his country for his role in Hawaii’s loss of independence.…but the queen had died without descendants, one hundred years had passed since her annexation and 34 years had passed since Hawaii had become a state and one more bright and exotic star on the North American flag.
Name Lydia Kamaka’eha significa “preservation of the skies”and that star is the symbol that evokes their struggle and the preservation of their nation’s identity.
Clinton’s apologies sound like those he gave for the Monica Lewinsky case.
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