Virginia Kapoʻoloku Poʻomaikelani (1839–1895) was a member of the royal family of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Life

She was born at Piʻihonua, Hilo, Hawaiʻi Island on April 7, 1839, the second daughter of Princess

Kinoiki Kekaulike Kinoiki Kekaulike I was a Princess of the island of Kauaʻi during the transition from ancient Hawaii to the Kingdom of Hawaii. Biography She was born in the early 19th century. Her father was King Kaumualiʻi (1778–1824), descended from the ...

of Kauaʻi and High Chief

Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole was a Hawaiian high chief of Hilo and father of Queen Kapiʻolani. He was born to Aliʻi Elelule Laʻakeaelelulu and his wife Poʻomaikelani, daughter of Aliʻi Kanekoa, of Waimea, by his first wife, Kalani-kau-lelei-awi, ...

of Hilo. She was the granddaughter of

Kaumualiʻi Kaumualiʻi (c. 1778–May 26, 1824) was the last independent aliʻi nui (supreme ruler of the island) of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau Niihau ( Hawaiian: ), anglicized as Niihau ( ), is the westernmost main and seventh largest inhabited island in Haw ...

, the last king of the island of Kauaʻi before being ceded to the unified Hawaiian Islands governed by

Kamehameha I Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiikui Kamehameha o Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; – May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Th ...

. She was also the stepdaughter of Queen Regent

Kaʻahumanu Kaahumanu (March 17, 1768 – June 5, 1832) (''"the feathered mantle"'') was queen consort and acted as regent of the Kingdom of Hawaii as Kuhina Nui. She was the favorite wife of King Kamehameha I and also the most politically powerfu ...

. She was elder sister of

Victoria Kinoiki Kekaulike Victoria Kūhiō Kinoiki Kekaulike II (1843–1884) was a Princess of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. Her name also sometimes spelled as Kinoike Kekaulike has been written as Mary Kinoiki Kekaulike in many sources. Her name Kekaulike translates as "the ...

and younger sister of

Queen Kapiʻolani 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 ...

, who married to King

Kalākaua Kalākaua (David Laʻamea Kamananakapu Mahinulani Naloiaehuokalani Lumialani Kalākaua; November 16, 1836 – January 20, 1891), sometimes called The Merrie Monarch, was the last king and penultimate monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi, ...

. Some sources give her different first names; for example Esther, Abigail or even Victoria. The situation was that the three sisters rarely used their Christian names. On March 20, 1855, she married Hiram Kahanawai, a steward of Queen Emma. Poʻomaikelani and her husband served as in the household as retainers of Queen Emma. She was one of the trusted

ladies-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

for many years, but left Emma's employment to join her brother-in-law's court. The couple did not have any children of their own but adopted and raised her nephew Prince

Edward Abnel Keliʻiahonui Edward Abnel Keliʻiahonui (May 13, 1869 – September 21, 1887) was a prince of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi. His name means "the chief whose strength is attained through patience". Early life Keliʻiahonui was born May 13, 1869, at Kaʻalaʻa at ...

, the second son of her sister Kekaulike. Her sister's husband became the king of Hawaiʻi in 1874 and she was granted the title of

Princess Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subs ...

and style of Her Royal Highness, in 1883 during Kalākaua's coronation. She was made Governor of Hawaiʻi island in 1884 by her brother-in-law and was paid an annual salary of 3500 dollars per year. She also served as President of the Board of Health in 1887. She was Guardian of the Royal Tombs at the

Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a ...

from October 15, 1888 until her death. Kalākaua appointed her as president of the Board of Genealogy of Hawaiian Chiefs. Poʻomaikelani was kahili bearer during Kalākaua's official coronation.

Death

Suffering from paralysis in her right leg, Poʻomaikelani had been largely incapacitated for the last ten years of her life having to be carried about, especially to service at St. Andrew's Cathedral where she regularly attended. Her condition worsened over the years until she was unable to leave her house. She died at Kalihi Valley,

Oahu Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O� ...

, October 2, 1895, aged 56, two years after

Queen Liliʻuokalani 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 ...

was overthrown. The cause of death was heart failure. After a funeral service at St. Andrew's, she was interred in the

. In 1910, after the completion of the separate Kalākaua Crypt, her casket was moved there from the main mausoleum building along with other members of the Kalākaua Dynasty.

Ancestry

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Poomaikelani, Virginia Kapooloku 1839 births 1895 deaths Burials at the Royal Mausoleum (Mauna ʻAla) Hawaiian ladies-in-waiting Hawaiian princesses Royalty of the Hawaiian Kingdom House of Kalākaua Governors of Hawaii (island) People from Hilo, Hawaii Recipients of the Royal Order of Kalākaua Recipients of the Royal Order of Kapiolani Native Hawaiian women in politics

Life

Death

Ancestry

See also

References