Sunday, May 9, 2010

Princess Ka'iulani - Her Life & Times

The Ka'iulani Project is expanding our biography on Ka'iulani.

Reports of Ka'iulani's speech quickly reached The White House. President Grover Cleveland and his wife First Lady Frances Cleveland were impressed, and wanted to meet this “Woman of the Hour”. Upon reading the reports of this accomplished, Crown Princess, who was being educated in England in preparation to inherit the throne of Hawaii, Cleveland realized that he had been misinformed about the state of affairs in Hawaii.

"Her beauty, grace and sweetness completely won Mrs. Cleveland's heart, the President was charmed with her—how could it be otherwise? And Mr. Davies’ representations put matters before President Cleveland in a new light. He (President Cleveland) became aware of abuses which he had not suspected; he promised to do all he could in the interests of Princess Kaiulani, and he was as good as his word."

In her darkest moments, Ka'iulani found the inner strength to fight for her nation in its hour of need. In the face of widespread slander and libel against the Hawaiian people and its Monarchy, she simply stood up and spoke the truth. Her frank words and stunning beauty took the American President, people, and press, by storm, changing forever their idea of the Hawaiian people. Her mission to America was a triumph.


Read more about Ka'iulani - Her Life & Times.

2 comments:

  1. I love a good Princess story, although Princess Ka'iulani's story is very tragic. I have been writing poetry since I was a child. I would like to dedicate one of my Princess poems that I have written to Princess Ka'iulani!

    She should have been a princess
    From the day that she was born
    But they treated her so terribly
    And covered her with scorn
    She was so soft and delicate
    She hurt so much inside
    But through the years
    Her heart turned cold
    Her love became her pride.

    Her heart became a block of ice
    Her anger real and true
    They tried to rob her of her throne
    She fought so proud, she knew
    They robbed her of her warmth and love
    They tried to steal her soul
    She’d show them
    She would prove to them
    And pride became her goal.

    Her name became the ice princess
    Her judgments cruelly made
    Her outward beauty grew and grew
    And all her rivals paid
    But through the years
    Her bitterness
    Destroyed her pride as well
    One cannot live revenge and hate
    Hate is a living Hell.

    She was alone
    So alone
    And sad
    So bitter too
    Her throne was gone
    Her heart was ice
    She was near death
    She knew.

    But as she died, her life flashed by
    Before her very eyes
    She saw her hate and anger
    And life’s deceit and lies
    She felt remorse and sorrow
    For all she put in pain
    The block of ice it melted
    Her life was not in vain.

    For she learned
    Life’s greatest lesson
    The lesson learned
    Is love
    Love can cure
    Life’s greatest wounds
    Love
    Is God above.

    She forgave
    Her enemies
    And learned
    Pure love instead
    And God restored
    Her warmth and heart
    Her soul lived on
    Though she was dead.




    Written by Kathryn Elizabeth Bell
    Copyright 1980
    Original Version

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  2. Thank you for sharing your writings with us.

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