Victoria Ka Iulawi Heroism

7585 Words31 Pages
"It has been a strange life, really, and a very romantic one." - Victoria Ka'iuani Cleghorn. For the last 100 years, Princess VictoriaKa`iulani Cleghorn may have been known as tragic because she died young, and was never permitted to serve the office for which she was trained, Queen of the Hawaiian Islands[->0]. It’s difficult to know why, but for unknown reasons, the story of her heroism has been forgotten. We’ve seen her as a shy, quiet but beautiful little girl who lived a melancholy life. Few people know of Ka`iulani's stand for her people, and fewer still, know that she was a ‘daughter of a double race’, half Hawaiian – half Scottish. Ka‘iulani was, in fact, a warrior - she fought for the truth. While overcoming many personal tragedies,…show more content…
But we owe it to her to remember that story. "Poppies", landscape of the Scottish countryside, oil on canvas by Victoria Ka'iulani Cleghorn, 1890. A letter written to her Father from Great Harrowden Hall, near Wellingborough, indicates that she painted this for her 'Auntie Liliu', Princess Liliuokalani. Crown Princess Victoria Ka‘iulani is Hawaii's Most Beloved Hawaii/Scot "Every one admired her attitude; they could not do otherwise. Her dignity, her pathetic resignation, her silent sorrow, appealed to all. The natives loved her for her quiet steadfast sympathy with their woe, her uncomplaining endurance of her own; the…show more content…
On February 23, 1893, The Call Newspaper in San Francisco reported "Princess Kaiulani is tall and slender, with a more thoughtful and deliberate air than might be expected in a schoolgirl." There were also newspaper reports that an uncle, John Cleghorn of San Francisco was also quickly on his way to Washington to plead the case for his niece. According to several US newspapers on Feb. 3, 1893, including the New York Times and the Salt Lake Herald, John Cleghorn stated, "If the United States will not see the justice and right of the claims I will lay before it, I shall go to England and appeal to Great Britain. Princess Kaiulani is strong brained woman capable of ruling Hawaii. She is receiving the best of education with the expectation of someday sitting on the Hawaii throne." Mr Cleghorn is extremely anxious to reach Washington to correct what he says are false impressions received by the president and cabinet. He said the princess and queen are the best of friends and the queen telegraphed her niece giving an account of the events which took her from the
Open Document