Who was Hawaii’s so-called last princess, Abigail Kawānanakoa? The LGBT royal was a philanthropist who died with a US$215 million fortune and drove with her ‘wifey’ in a Rolls-Royce
- Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa had lineage to the historic royal family and Irish businessman James Campbell who became one of Hawaii’s largest landowners – she died on December 11 at age 96
- Her personal lawyer recounted that she was always interested in what people would do for money – Pope Benedict XVI once accepted a cheque in exchange for a photo, while Dalai Lama refused any gifts
Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa, the so-called last Hawaiian princess whose lineage included the royal family that once ruled the islands and an Irish businessman who became one of Hawaii’s largest landowners, died on December 11. She was 96.
“Abigail will be remembered for her love of Hawaii and its people,” her 69-year-old wife said in a statement, “and I will miss her with all of my heart.”
Kawānanakoa held no formal title but was a living reminder of Hawaii’s monarchy
She was a symbol of Hawaiian national identity that endured after the kingdom was overthrown by American businessmen in 1893.
“She was always called princess among Hawaiians because Hawaiians have acknowledged that lineage,” Kimo Alama Keaulana, assistant professor of Hawaiian language and studies at Honolulu Community College, said in a 2018 interview. “Hawaiians hold dear to genealogy. And so genealogically speaking, she is of high royal blood.”
He called her “the last of our alii”, using the Hawaiian word for royalty: “She epitomises what Hawaiian royalty is – in all its dignity and intelligence and art.”