| Emma | |
|---|---|
| Queen Consort of Hawaiʻi | |
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| Birth name | Emma Kaleleonalani |
| Born | January 2 1836 |
| Spouse | Kamehameha IV |
| Issue | Albert Kamehameha |
| Died | April 25 1885 (aged 49) |
Emma, Queen Consort of Hawaii (January 2, 1836 – April 25, 1885) was queen to King Kamehameha IV from 1856 to his death in 1863. She tried to run as Queen against King David Kalakaua.
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Early years
Emma was born Emalani[1], and was later Emma Rooke. She was hanaied (adopted) to her childless maternal aunt, chiefess Grace Kama'iku'i Young Rooke, and her husband, Dr. T.C.B. Rooke. She was granddaughter of John Young, Kamehameha the Great's British-born royal advisor and companion. Emma was educated in Honolulu at the Royal School, which was established by American missionaries.
Married life and reign
In 1856, she married Alexander Liholiho, who a year earlier had assumed the throne as Kamehameha IV. Two years later, in 1858, Emma gave birth to a son, Albert Edward Kauikeaouli Leiopapa, a Kamehameha. The queen kept herself busy tending to royal palace affairs, including the expansion of the scholarly library. Inspired by watching her father’s work, Emma encouraged her husband to help establish a public hospital.
Names
Queen Emma gained the name "Kaleleonalani" after the death of her young son and husband, in remembrance of the "flight of the heavenly ones", as described in her name. In the brief period after her son's death and before her husband's death, she was referred to as "Kaleleokalani", or "flight of the heavenly one". Queen Emma was also nicknamed "Wahine Hololio" in deference to her renowned horsemanship. During her reign and after, she was known for her humaniterian efforts.
Religious legacy
In 1860, Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV petitioned the Church of England to help them establish the Church of Hawaii. Upon the arrival of an Anglican bishop and two priests, they both underwent Christian confirmation in November 1862. Due to this and to Queen Emma's efforts to build a hospital (now Queen's Hospital), they were canonized as saints in the US Episcopal Church. As saints, their feast day is celebrated annually on November 28.[2]
Death
Queen Emma died on April 25, 1885 at the age of 49. She was given a royal funeral and was laid to rest in Mauna Ala, next to her husband and son.
Trivia
- England’s Queen Victoria remarked of Emma, "Nothing could be nicer or more dignified than her manner."
- In 1867, she founded the school St. Andrew's Priory, and all-girl's Episcopal day-school.
References
- ^ http://hml.org/mmhc/exhibits/alii/
- ^ Lesser Feasts and Fasts (Church Publishing Company, 2003)
External links
See also
- Hanaiakamalama (Queen Emma Summer Palace)
- Queen's Medical Center
