Queen Lili‘uokalani (1838-1917), the first sovereign queen and last monarch of Hawai‘i, came to power in 1891.
She worked to restore native Hawaiian rights, but her reign was brief due to a 1893 coup staged by American plantation and business owners supported by the U.S. military.
After a failed counter-insurrection in 1895, she was charged with treason and placed under house arrest.
Following Hawaii’s annexation by the U.S. in 1898, Lili‘uokalani spent her remaining years fighting for native Hawaiian rights and traditions.
As a prolific songwriter and musician, she composed over 150 songs, including Hawaii’s national anthem, Aloha ‘Oe.
She also established a bank for women, an education fund for Hawaiian girls and The Queen Lili‘uokalani Trust for orphans, which is still active today.
In this article I have curated the top quotes by Queen Liliuokalani.
Top 10 Queen Liliuokalani Quotes
All things in this world are two: in heaven there is but One. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
The cause of Hawaiian independence is larger and dearer than the life of any man connected with it. ~ Queen Lili’uokalani.
Behold not with anger the sins of man, but forgive and cleanse. ~ Queen Liliʻuokalani.
The chief whose retainers were in any poverty or want would have felt, not only their sufferings, but, further, his own disgrace. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
I have pursued the path of peace and diplomatic discussion, and not that of internal strife. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
The Hawaiian people have been from time immemorial lovers of poetry and music. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
To compose was as natural to me as to breathe; and this gift of nature, never having been suffered to fall into disuse, remains a source of the greatest consolation to this day. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
The voices of the people are the voices of God. ~ Queen Liliʻuokalani.
Aloha ‘oe, farewell to thee . . . One fond embrace before I now depart. Until we meet again. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
I owed no allegiance to the Provisional Government so established, nor to any power or to any one save the will of my people and the welfare of my country. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
At noon of the tenth day of April, 1877, the booming of the cannon was heard which announced that I was heir apparent to the throne of Hawaii. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
The promulgation of a new constitution, adapted to the needs of the times and the demands of the people, has been an indisputable prerogative of the Hawaiian monarchy. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
Best Queen Liliuokalani Quotes
The people to whom your fathers told of the living God, and taught to call ‘Father,’ and whom the sons now seek to despoil and destroy, are crying aloud to Him in their time of trouble; and He will keep His promise, and will listen to the voices of His Hawaiian children lamenting for their homes. ~ Queen Liliʻuokalani.
It was the intention of the officers of the government to humiliate me by imprisoning me, but my spirit rose above that. I was a martyr to the cause of my people, and was proud of it. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
That first night of my imprisonment was the longest night I have ever passed in my life; it seemed as though the dawn of day would never come. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
I was a studious girl; and the acquisition of knowledge has been a passion with me during my whole life, one which has not lost its charm to the present day. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
I could not turn back the time for political change, but there is still time to save our heritage. You must remember never to cease to act because you fear you may fail. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
Famous Queen Liliuokalani Quotes
Hours of which it is not yet in place to speak, which I might have found long and lonely, passed quickly and cheerfully by, occupied and soothed by the statement of my thoughts in music. ~ Queen Lili’uokalani.
The feelings of one who has been imprisoned, politically or otherwise, can only be understood by a person who has passed through the ordeal. ~ Queen Lili’uokalani.
Now to avoid any collision of armed forces, and perhaps the loss of life, I do this under protest and impelled by said force yield my authority until such time as the Government of the United States shall, upon facts being presented to it, undo the action of its representatives and reinstate me in the authority which I claim as the Constitutional Sovereign of the Hawaiian Islands. ~ Queen Liliʻuokalani.
Never cease to act because you fear you may fail. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
The way to lose any earthly kingdom is to be inflexible, intolerant and prejudicial. Another way is to be too flexible, tolerant of too many wrongs and without judgment at all. It is a razor’s edge. It is the width of a blade of pili grass. ~ Queen Liliuokalani.
So these were the 23 top Queen Liliuokalani quotes and sayings.
If you like these quotes and sayings, then you can also read my other posts on Rita Pierson quotes and Albert Pike quotes.
Short Biography of Queen Liliuokalani
Queen Liliʻuokalani, the last sovereign of Hawaii, was born in 1838 and adopted by high-ranking Hawaiians.
Educated alongside royal relatives, she was eligible for the throne, later becoming queen in 1891.
Her reign was marked by efforts to strengthen the monarchy, which led to its overthrow by pro-American forces in 1893.
| Full Name: | Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Kamakaʻeha |
| Other Names: | Liliʻu Loloku Walania Kamakaʻeha, Lydia Kamakaʻeha |
| Born: | 2 September 1838, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States |
| Died: | 11 November 1917, Washington Place, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States |
| Burial: | November 18, 1917, Mauna ʻAla Royal Mausoleum |
| Reign: | January 29, 1891 – January 17, 1893 |
| Predecessor: | Kalākaua |
| Successor: | Monarchy overthrown |
| Children: | Lydia Kaʻonohiponiponiokalani Aholo, John ʻAimoku Dominis, Joseph Kaiponohea ʻAeʻa |
| Spouse: | John Owen Dominis |
| Siblings: | Kalakaua, Likelike, Anna Kaʻiulani, James Kaliokalani, Leleiohoku II, Kaʻiminaʻauao |
| House: | Kalākaua |
| Father: | Caesar Kapaʻakea, Abner Pākī (Hānai adoptive father) |
| Mother: | Analea Keohokālole, Laura Kōnia (Hānai adoptive mother) |
| Religion: | Protestantism |
Despite attempts to restore the monarchy, she was placed under house arrest and forced to abdicate.
Liliʻuokalani, who also composed “Aloha ʻOe,” lived out her days as a private citizen until her death in 1917.
Quick Facts about Queen Liliuokalani
- Queen Liliʻuokalani was Hawaii’s last sovereign monarch, passing in 1917.
- Liliʻuokalani’s name commemorates an eye infection.
- She was adopted into a high-ranking family shortly after birth.
- Liliʻuokalani wrote over 150 songs, including “Aloha ʻOe.”
- “Aloha ʻOe” was inspired by a parting kiss and became iconic in popular culture.
- Liliʻuokalani’s reign ended with a coup involving sugar planters and U.S. Marines.
- U.S. President Grover Cleveland attempted to restore Liliʻuokalani to power.
- Liliʻuokalani was imprisoned for her alleged role in a counter-revolution.
- While imprisoned, she used song lyrics to send secret messages.
- She was forced to officially abdicate her throne in 1895.
- Liliʻuokalani’s estate continues to support Native Hawaiian children.
- Her full birth name was Lydia Liliʻu Loloku Walania Wewehi Kamakeaʻeha.
- Liliʻuokalani was skilled in playing the guitar, autoharp, piano, and zither.
- She wrote “He Mele Lāhui Hawaiʻi,” the national anthem for a time.
- The coup’s goal was to annex Hawaii for the United States.
- Sanford B. Dole was named president of the Provisional Government after the coup.
- Cleveland’s faux invasion attempt to restore Liliʻuokalani was unsuccessful.
- In 1993, the U.S. formally apologized for overthrowing Hawaii’s kingdom.
- Royalist Robert Wilcox’s attempt to restore the monarchy in 1895 failed.
- Liliʻuokalani’s abdication was coerced under threat of her followers’ execution.
- The Liliʻuokalani Trust was established in 1909 to help Native Hawaiian orphans.
- The trust provided over $40 million in child services in 2020.
- Liliʻuokalani became known by her more famous name in 1877 when named heir apparent.
- She spent her later years as a private citizen, advocating for Hawaii’s independence.
Top Questions about Queen Liliuokalani
A: Liliʻuokalani was the last reigning monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
A: Liliʻuokalani is renowned for composing the song “Aloha ʻOe.”
A: Liliʻuokalani was born and raised in Honolulu, on the island of Oʻahu.
A: King Kamehameha III proclaimed Liliʻuokalani and her siblings eligible for the throne.
A: Liliʻuokalani ascended to the throne in 1891 following her brother’s death.
A: The Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown in 1893 due to pro-American elements opposing Liliʻuokalani’s attempts to restore the monarchy’s power.
A: After the overthrow, Liliʻuokalani was placed under house arrest and eventually forced to abdicate the throne.
A: Liliʻuokalani attended the Chiefs’ Children’s School, later known as the Royal School.
A: Liliʻuokalani was informally adopted by Abner Pākī and Laura Kōnia at birth.
A: Liliʻuokalani married John Owen Dominis, who later became the Governor of Oʻahu.
A: Liliʻuokalani represented her brother as an official envoy to the United Kingdom during Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.
A: Liliʻuokalani’s attempts to draft a new constitution led to the overthrow of the monarchy.
A: Liliʻuokalani assisted in raising funds for The Queen’s Hospital and helped establish the Kaʻahumanu Society for the relief of the elderly and the ill.
A: “He Mele Lāhui Hawaiʻi” was composed by Liliʻuokalani at the request of Kamehameha V and served as the Hawaiian national anthem until replaced by her brother’s composition.
A: Liliʻuokalani’s early education, engagement in social elite circles, and her role in charitable organizations shaped her compassionate and nationalistic approach during her reign as queen.
