To the Discussion Leader
Princess Kaiulani loved her homeland of Hawaii and its people. Even as a young girl, Kaiulani took seriously her role as the eventual ruler of Hawaii. Her heart broke when she was required to leave her island paradise to be educated in England. Soon letters from back home alerted her to a movement to overthrow the monarchy and have Hawaii annexed by the United States.
In a diplomatic effort that belied her young age, Princess Kaiulani traveled to Washington, D.C. to plead her case to congressmen and ultimately to President Grover Cleveland. Kaiulani convinced Cleveland that the new provisional government that imposed martial law in Hawaii and made her aunt step down as Queen ought to be ousted. Unfortunately, a new presidential election found William McKinley occupying the White House. His support for the annexation of Hawaii by the United States ended the monarchy and the Hawaiian flag was lowered for the last time.
Some one hundred years later in 1993, the United States Congress passed a joint resolution that contained an official apology to the people of Hawaii for what had been done to them years before. For Princess Kaiulani and the royal family of Hawaii, the apology was too late.
Summary
On January 5, 1889, Princess Kaiulani of Hawaii writes in her diary, "It is a new year, and yet I'm terribly sad. What I have been dreading for so long will soon happens. I knew this day would come, but I am only thirteen. I thought surely I would have more time here, in the land of my birth." Kaiulani, the only child of Princess Miriam Likelike and Scotsman Archibald Cleghorn, has lived a privileged life on the ten-acre estate given to her at birth by her godmother Auntie Ruth. When Kaiulani is not being tutored, she goes swimming and surfing off Waikiki Beach, feeds her pet peacocks, and rides her beautiful white pony, Fairy. But a shadow falls on the young princess' life when she is eleven. Her beloved mother becomes mysteriously and incurably ill and dies soon after. Still, Kaiulani enjoys the love and attention of her father, aunts, and uncles, one of whom is King Kalakaua. She also becomes acquainted with the famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson, a friend of her father. Mr. Stevenson visits often; brings Kaiulani books; and tells her stories of his travels and of the little mouse that shares his house and criticizes his writing. Now the day has come when Kaiulani must leave her island home and travel to England where she is to attend boarding school and become a properly educated young lady. She would like everything to stay the way is it, but as she says, " I must follow the wishes of my family. It is my responsibility. My obligation. My duty."
The voyage across the Pacific Ocean is rough and Kaiulani is seasick and miserable, especially when her father, who has accompanied her, leaves when they arrive in San Francisco. The train takes Kaiulani across America, where the size of Chicago and the throngs of people in New York City amaze her. Finally, after more ocean travel, Kaiulani arrives in England. At first, she hates her school and is terribly homesick, but soon she makes some friends and feels more comfortable there. She is also hopeful that she may return home after a year, but it is eight years before she returns to her homeland.
Back in Hawaii there is political unrest. The haoles (white Americans) have become powerful, taking voting rights away from some Hawaiians and wanting America to annex Hawaii. Such information greatly disturbs Kaiulani, but she is grief-stricken when she learns that King Kalakaua, her uncle whom she calls Papa Moi, has died. Now her aunt Liliuokalani has become Queen, and Kaiulani is next in line to the throne. The new Queen does not rule wisely and is soon overthrown. The monarchy is ended. Realizing she must do something to save her country, Kaiulani decides to travel to the United States to ask President Grover Cleveland to block the annexation of Hawaii. She writes, "I just hope that my resolute efforts will contribute in a small way to the restoration of the monarchy, and our Hawaiian way of life. I can only pray that President Cleveland and Congress will heed my pleas. I have done my best. I can do nothing now, but wait. I can do no more."
Thinking About the Book
1. Describe Kaiulani's life at Ainahau, her family's home. What kind of education did she have? What are some of the duties expected of Kaiulani as a princess? What did she do for fun?
2. How was Kaiulani's life in England different from her early years? What did she like most about living there? Least?
3. Why do you think the author of Kaiulani's diary, Ellen Emerson White, called her "the people's princess?"
4. What were the last words Kaiulani's mother spoke before she died? Did those final words come true?
5. If Princess Kaiulani had been given the chance to become Queen, do you think she would have made a good ruler? Explain why or why not.
6. Identify the following and discuss what role each played in Kaiulani: The People's Princess.
Reformers
John Stevens
President Grover Cleveland
Royalists
Bayonet Constitution
Sanford B. Dole
7. On February 8, 1893 Kaiulani writes, "I feel my life is over before it has even really begun." What does she mean?
Student Activities
1. On a map trace Kaiulani's journey from Honolulu to London, across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco, then by train to Chicago and New York, and on board ship to Liverpool, England, then to Manchester and on to London. What do you think impressed her the most?
2. Kaiulani and Robert Louis Stevenson were such good friends
that he wrote her a farewell poem when she left for England. Read
some of his other poems such as those contained in A Child's
Garden of Verses, or read one of his novels Kaiulani enjoyed
so much like Treasure Island which the Princess said was "the best
story ever." Discuss your reactions to this classic with other members
of your discussion group. Do you agree with the Princess or not?
3. In Hawaii, people have a special feast, called a luau. Plan a luau. Decorate with fresh flowers. Make leis. Serve Hawaiian food. Listen to Hawaiian music, particularly "Aloha Oe," the song written by Kaiulani's Aunt Lydia. Dance the hula. Play ukuleles.
4. There are several other books for young readers about Princess Kaiulani. Read The Last Princess: The Story of Princess Ka'iulani of Hawai'i written by Fay Stanley and illustrated by Diane Stanley. Compare and contrast this book with Kaiulani's Royal Diary. How are the stories similar? How do they differ?
5. In her diary entry of February 2, 1893 Princess Kaiulani writes, "The Americans have finally managed to steal our country from us." In your groups, discuss whether or not you think this statement is true and why you feel the way you do.
6. Princess Kaiulani says she learned that newspapers "are not always accurate." With the help of a librarian or your teacher, see if you can find some examples that demonstrate Kaiulani's observation is true.
An Interview with Ellen Emerson White
Richard F. Abrahamson, Ph.D. & Eleanore S. Tyson, Ed.D.: Kaiulani loved Hawaii and its people, and she took seriously her preparation to lead the country but never got the chance. Do you see the princess's story as a tragedy?
Ellen Emerson White: Kaiulani's story is absolutely a tragedy. After spending her entire life — from the moment of her birth — being raised to serve as the Queen of Hawaii one day, she was entirely lost when the monarchy fell. It was as though, having been prepared to lead, she felt that she had no other options, and no real reason to exist otherwise. I am quite convinced that she died as the result of a broken heart. For one thing, almost everyone she loved died during her lifetime — which is tragic, in and of itself. Her mother, Annie, Robert Louis Stevenson — the list goes one and on. Then, once the monarchy was abolished against the will of the Hawaiian people, I think Kaiulani felt she no longer had any purpose in life. No one had ever prepared her for the possibility of leading an ordinary life, so I think she ended up feeling utterly hopeless. It's a tragedy of both wasted potential and, naturally, of a beautiful princess who died much too young.
RFA & EST: What do you think were the essential qualities that made Kaiulani so
admired and loved?
EEW: I think her grace and beauty appealed to everyone, regardless of
whether they had ever actually met her. Then, upon getting to know her, people were drawn to her intelligence and dignity — even as a small child. Her closest friends found her to be witty and vivacious, but I think she kept that side of herself somewhat hidden when she was in public.
RFA & EST: As you researched Princess Kaiulani's life and the end of the monarchy in Hawaii, what did you discover that surprised you most?
EEW: The honest answer is that I was surprised by the absolutely disgraceful behavior of the United States government. They simply took over a small country to serve their own interests, and the Hawaiian people suffered a great deal as a result. Since America is a democracy, I did not think we would do something like that, and I don't ever remember hearing anything about this period of history when I was in school. All we were taught is that Hawaii became the 50th state. Somehow, the history books left out the crucial details of what can only be described as a military coup.
RFA & EST: Robert Louis Stevenson's friendship with Kaiulani is a thread that runs throughout the fabric of the princess's life. Would you tell us more about this unlikely friendship? How did it develop and why?
EEW: There actually isn't that much historical information available about their friendship, beyond what is in the diary. Without question, they shared a sense of humor and a similar sort of intellectual curiosity, so I think they just plain "hit it off." Certainly, as an important member of the Royal Family, Kaiulani would have been introduced to any famous person who came to the Islands. I think their initial contact was purely a courtesy call on Robert Louis Stevenson's part. It would have been very impolite of him not to pay his respects to the Royal Family during his stay on Oahu. The fact that he and Kaiulani genuinely enjoyed each other's company was, I suspect, nothing more than a happy accident.
RFA & EST: This is your first Royal Diaries book, although you've authored a
previous Dear America book, The Voyage of the Great Titanic — The Diary of
Margaret Ann Brady. What do you like most about the diary format, and did you find it easier or more difficult to write from the point of view of a real person?
EEW: It is much more difficult to write about a real person, in my opinion. In my Titanic book, I could give Margaret any background and personality that felt comfortable to me — which, in my case, meant lots of jokes and a certain rebellious nature. With Kaiulani, I felt a great responsibility to try and reflect her actual voice, as closely as possible. I read a number of letters she had written to people, and did my best to adopt her exact tone. As a result, the voice ended up being a lot more formal than any sort of voice I would normally use in fiction. My sense of Kaiulani is that she was so conscious of her responsibilities as a future Queen, that she rarely allowed herself to relax or let down her guard. I'm not sure she would even have had a sense of absolute privacy within the pages of her own diary — and the book reflects that. But I found it so difficult to write, that I don't think I would do another diary about a real person; I far prefer making up my own characters.
RFA & EST: If you could ask youngsters who have read Kaiulani: The People's Princess just one question about the book, what would that question be?
EEW: I would ask, "How do you think our nation's history would have changed if the United States had never overthrown the monarchy, and Hawaii was still
a small, independent country today?"
RFA & EST: What do you hope young readers will take with them after reading
Kaiulani: The People's Princess?
EEW: Actually, I hope they go out and read a couple of books by Robert
Louis Stevenson. I also hope that readers will feel that they've
learned something new about an unknown, and almost forgotten, part
of our nation's history.
Discussion Guide written by Richard F. Abrahamson, Ph.D., Professor of Literature for Children and Young Adults, University of Houston and Eleanore S. Tyson, Ed.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Houston, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Houston, Texas.
 | 
