Prince Albert Kamehameha, formally Albert Edward Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa a Kamehameha (May 20, 1858 – August 27, 1862), was the only son of
Kamehameha IV
Kamehameha IV (Alekanetero ʻIolani Kalanikualiholiho Maka o ʻIouli Kūnuiākea o Kūkāʻilimoku; anglicized as Alexander Liholiho) (February 9, 1834 – November 30, 1863), reigned as the fourth monarch of Hawaii under the title ''Ke Aliʻi ...
and
Queen Emma, who during his short life was the Crown Prince of the
Kingdom of Hawaii. He was the godson of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
.
Early life
He was born May 20, 1858, in the residence of ''Ihikapukalani'' that his father had built for his mother. The residence, oddly, had two names; the
''makai'' side was known as ''Kauluhinano'', and the
''mauka'' side was known as ''Ihikapukalani''.
Created
Crown prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wi ...
and heir apparent to the throne of the
Kingdom of Hawaii on May 24, 1858, he was styled "His Royal Highness the Prince of Hawaii" by the Privy Council. Adored by the native Hawaiian public, he was affectionately known as ''Ka Haku O Hawaii'' ("the Lord of Hawaii") and was believed to be last hope of the
Kamehameha Dynasty.
His birth was celebrated for many days not only in Honolulu, but throughout the islands. He was the first child to be born to a reigning Hawaiian monarch since
Prince Keawe Aweula-o-Kalani in 1839, son of
Kamehameha III, and the last ever to be born from any reigning Hawaiian monarch.
He was given the Hawaiian name Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa after his adoptive grandfather
Kauikeaouli who reigned as Kamehameha III. Translated from the
Hawaiian language it means "the beloved child of a long line of chiefs, a sign in the heavens." The King and Queen called their son "Baby". However, when they spoke of him to their ''kahu'' (caretakers), it was as ''Kauikeaouli'', which the Hawaiian people also used.
He was named Albert Edward in honor of
Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII of the United Kingdom. Despite the great differences in their kingdoms, Queen Emma and
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
would exchange letters and become lifelong friends.
Ten days after his birth, Mary Allen, second wife of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Elisha Hunt Allen
Elisha Hunt Allen (January 28, 1804 – January 1, 1883) was an American congressman, lawyer and diplomat, and judge and diplomat for the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Early life
Elisha Hunt Allen was born January 28, 1804, in New Salem, Massachusetts ...
, had a son Frederick. The two children became playmates, and Allen described the prince as "an unusually sweet child, gentle and gentlemanly in his manners, bright and precocious and of a most happy, serene temperament".
Albert during his life was also made an honorary member of Fire Engine Company Number Four in Honolulu and was given his own Company Four red uniform. It was said that he would rather become a fireman.
His four birthdays were national holidays.
Death
In August 1862, the usually serene child became restless, and his medical condition got progressively worse. The newspapers of the time reported the illness as "brain fever," now known as
meningitis. Writing much later,
Queen Liliuokalani
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mothe ...
blamed the father for putting the child under a cold-water faucet as punishment for throwing a tantrum over a pair of boots.
The parents did mistake a fever for sunstroke. A modern medical historian and Honolulu physician analyzed the possible causes of Albert's death. They concluded the Prince most likely died from a case of
appendicitis
Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a ru ...
. Both the local and British naval doctors did not know the cause nor the treatment of his illness.
As the prince's condition declined, Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma made a personal request to
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previo ...
to send a bishop from the
Anglican Church
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...
to baptize the prince. They also requested Queen Victoria to be his godmother. Queen Victoria consented to both requests, and sent as a baptismal gift an elaborate silver christening cup, about three feet high. Bishop
Thomas Nettleship Staley was sent but would not arrive until October. As the prince grew sicker, the American minister Ephraim W. Clark from
Kawaiahao Church baptized the child on August 23. The Episcopal liturgy was used with the British Commissioner William Webb Follett Synge standing in for the godparents.
The Prince died on August 27, 1862, at the palace, four days after his baptism. His parents were grief-stricken, as they knelt by the side of the Prince's bed. The Queen took her dead boy in her arms and, weeping over him, said to him, "My Baby, my own Baby and you did not know me!"
Prince Albert's funeral was held on September 7, 1862. He was temporarily placed in a temporary tomb in front of the palace below a
tamarind tree. Before the lid of the coffin closed, the King removed the star of diamonds from his uniform and laid it on the chest of his only son.
Afterwards, the King fell into despair, blaming himself for the loss of his son. The Queen rarely left the grave of her child and was given the name ''Kaleleokalani'' (The Flight of the Heavenly Chief), in memory of Albert, by her husband. The King then ordered the construction of the
Royal Mausoleum in
Nuuanu Valley to house his son's body, since the old mausoleum had become too full.
Today, the mausoleum is burial site of most of the members of the Hawaiian royal family. The King's depression was so severe that he considered abdicating the throne. A year later, he would die as well. To express her grief, Queen Emma changed her name to Kaleleo(n)ālani "Flight of the Heavenly Chief(s)," to symbolize her double loss.
Legacy
His death left his father without a constitutionally recognized heir. Consequently, after his father's death in 1864, the Kuhina Nui (Albert's aunt) had to fill in the vacant office of head of state for a day until the Legislature could decide upon the accession of his uncle as king.
Besides the Royal Mausoleum, the four-year-old prince left other marks on Hawaii. The area of
Princeville on the island of
Kauai was named in honor of the young prince by Scotsman
Robert Crichton Wyllie
Robert Crichton Wyllie (October 13, 1798 – October 19, 1865) was a Scottish physician and businessman. He served for twenty years as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Early life
Wyllie was born October 13, 1798, in an area c ...
, Minister of Foreign Affairs to Kamehameha III and IV, after a visit by the Kamehameha IV family in 1860. In 1867 Elisha Allen bought the property and developed it into a
sugarcane plantation.
It was developed into a resort with its main street named Ka Huku Road at .
The road to Kamehameha III's birthplace is named Kaleiopapa Street near
Keauhou Bay
Keauhou Bay is a historic area in the Kona District of the Big Island of Hawaii.
The name comes from ''ke au hou'' which means "the new era" in the Hawaiian Language.
Kamehameha III's Birthplace
A small enclosure is maintained by the Daughter ...
at on the
island of Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii ) is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of , it has 63% of th ...
. The Leiopapa a Kamehameha Building (the State Office Tower) in
downtown Honolulu
Downtown Honolulu is the current historic, economic, and governmental center of Honolulu, the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. It is bounded by Nuuanu Stream to the west, Ward Avenue to the east, Vineyard Boulevard to the nor ...
is also named for him. According to local folklore, his ghost is said to inhabit the building at 235 South Beretania Street, .
Family tree
Paternal
Maternal
References
Bibliography
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kamehameha, Albert
1858 births
1862 deaths
Burials at the Royal Mausoleum (Mauna ʻAla)
Hawaiian Kingdom Anglicans
Heirs apparent who never acceded
Heirs to the Hawaiian throne
Princes of Hawaii
Royalty of the Hawaiian Kingdom
Royalty who died as children