Queen Liliʻuokalani: Hawaii's Last Monarch

Queen Liliʻuokalani was the last reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Hawaii. She ruled from 1891 until American businessmen and U.S. Marines overthrew her government on January 17, 1893. She was imprisoned afterward in her own palace. She spent years in Washington petitioning, without success, for the restoration of her kingdom. Through all of it, she composed music. "Aloha ʻOe," her most beloved song, was written before the overthrow, but it has been heard since as a farewell to everything that was lost. She died in 1917, still fighting.

Who she was

Born in 1838, Liliʻuokalani was the sister of King David Kalākaua and became queen after his death in 1891. She was deeply educated in both Hawaiian tradition and Western learning, and she wrote music throughout her life.

Her short reign

As queen, she sought to restore power to the monarchy and to Native Hawaiians after earlier constitutions had weakened the throne. Her efforts to adopt a new constitution set her against powerful business interests, which set the stage for the events of 1893.

The overthrow and her response

In January 1893, a group backed by American interests, supported by U.S. troops, overthrew the queen. To avoid bloodshed, she yielded under protest, appealing to the United States for justice rather than taking up arms. Read the full account on our page about the 1893 overthrow.

This description of aloha is widely attributed to the queen. Nearly identical wording also appears in Hawaii's Aloha Spirit law (Hawaii Revised Statutes section 5-7.5), which draws on the teaching of Hawaiian scholar Pilahi Paki.

Music and legacy

Liliʻuokalani composed many songs, most famously "Aloha ʻOe." Her writing and music kept Hawaiian identity alive through a difficult era, and her reflections on aloha are still quoted today. She remains a beloved figure and a symbol of Hawaiian resilience.