Royal visit in Honolulu – Iolani Palace

Iolani Palace in Honolulu

Home to several preserved residences of the first missionaries, landmark churches, the classic governor’s residence Washington Place, and a gilded statue of King Kamehameha, Iolani Palace is a prominent building in Honolulu’s Old Town. Downtown.

The majestic Iolani Palace is the only royal palace in the United States

A front view of the palace with a golden statue of King Kamehameha

Surrounded by a large garden with a gazebo, this palace certainly has something luxurious, although it cannot be compared in size to, for example, the palace on Dam Square. This Hawaiian royal residence is many times smaller. Nevertheless, the building, which was completed in 1882, has four floors, including the basement and the attic. You can visit the palace for a fee as part of a guided tour or independently, with the help of an audio tour.

We choose the audio tour and go through all the rooms step by step. The resemblance of the interior to European royal palaces strikes me immediately; It may not have the grandeur of a Schloss Schönbrunn or Windsor Castle, but you see similarities in the throne room’s choice of red silk, a variety of chandeliers and stained glass, luxurious bedding, and heavy drapes. Curtains.

Royals in Peacock Feathers

Although the size of the palace is small, you imagine yourself in a royal environment. At the time, Hawaiian kings and queens were happy to be associated with European royalty and, despite the great distance, were welcome guests at the great European palaces, especially at that time. For example, a showroom is dedicated to the dresses worn by Queen Kapiolani and Queen Liliuokalani during their European state visits. Of particular note is a replica of the classic bodice with peacock feather skirt worn by Queen Kapiolani for Queen Victoria’s Jubilee in London in 1887. You can imagine Hawaiian royalty decked out in exotic colors with real bird feathers. In the European Court.

Hawaiian flag

Given the European court’s influence and how affairs were conducted abroad, it’s no surprise that Hawaii’s first flag design in 1816 incorporated the British Union Jack. The story goes that the then King Kamehameha had a warm friendship with the British King George III and wanted to fly his flag out of respect. After the first flag design in 1816, the current, official flag design was submitted in 1845, making it one of the oldest American state flags. Also, the Hawaiian flag is the only American flag that has the design of the flag of the United Kingdom. I also had to look twice when I saw the Hawaiian flag for the first time, because at once it looks like you’re looking at the British flag, but because of the eight horizontal stripes used on it, it looks a little bit too. Like the stars and stripes of the American flag. Either way, the special flag captures and integrates the archipelago’s rich political history. Once an independent kingdom in Polynesia, today an American state. Oh, why eight horizontal bars you might ask? It is said to represent the eight main islands of the state of Hawaii: Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, Maui, Oahu, Hawaii, Niihau, and Kaholawai.

Queen in exile
Another special story is the exile of Queen Lili’ukalani, the last queen of Hawaii. After the royal family was overthrown in 1893, there was a brief revival in 1895 as royalists sought to restore Liliuokalani to the throne. However, the attempt was promptly punished, resulting in the queen’s arrest and imprisonment in a bedroom at Iolani Palace. She was confined here for eight months, and guards stood guard outside her door, opening it only to pass some food and drink. In her exile, the queen wrote many songs, among them Aloha oh It is very popular and is still heard frequently on the island. She spent her time in all kinds of needlework; In the room where she was locked, a quilt is now on display under a mirror that she put together during this lonely time.

Plates of Napoleon

Cellars are also overvalued; Here the old palace kitchen has been fully restored and the various china cabinets are filled with unique glassware and ceramics from France and China. There are even plates from the personal service of Napoleon Bonaparte.

All in all, it was an interesting visit to a unique place in the United States that no other state has ever had a stately home. You can visit the palace from Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm; You need to book in advance and buy tickets online. More information about Iolani Palace can be found here Here.