ʻIolani Palace
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ʻIolani Palace is situated in the capitol district of downtown Honolulu in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi. It is the only royal palace used as an official residence by a reigning monarch in the United States and is a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Two monarchs governed from ʻIolani Palace: King David Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani.
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[edit] Royal Palace
The ʻIolani Palace structure that exists today is actually the second ʻIolani Palace to sit on the palace grounds. The original palace, built during the reign of Kamehameha IV, was a one-story building made out of coral block. The building was named, "ʻIolani Palace," after one of Kamehameha IV's given names (his full name was Alexander Liholiho ʻIolani). It served as the official residence of the monarch during the reigns of Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V, Lunalilo, and the first part of Kalākaua's reign. The original structure was very simple in design and was more of a stately home than a palace.
King Kamehameha V was the first monarch to envision a royal palace befitting of the sovereignty of a modern state such as Hawaiʻi. He commissioned the construction of Aliʻiōlani Hale to be the official palace of the Hawaiian monarchy. The building was constructed across the street from the original ʻIolani Palace structure. At the time, Hawaiʻi sorely needed a government building, since the government buildings of the time were small and cramped. Ultimately, Aliʻiōlani Hale became an administrative building instead of a palace, housing the judiciary of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and various other ministries.
By the time David Kalākaua assumed the throne, the original ʻIolani Palace was in poor condition, suffering from ground termite damage. He ordered the palace to be razed.
Kalākaua was the first monarch to travel around the world. While visiting other sovereign states of the world, he took note of the grand palaces owned by other monarchs. Like Kamehameha V, he dreamed of a royal palace befitting of the sovereignty of a modern state such as Hawaiʻi. He commissioned the construction a new ʻIolani Palace, directly across the street from Aliʻiōlani Hale, to become the official palace of the Hawaiian monarchy. The building was completed in 1882 and served as the official residence of the Hawaiian monarch until the monarchy was overthrown in 1893.
[edit] Capitol Building
Upon the overthrow of the monarchy by the Committee of Safety in 1893, ʻIolani Palace was converted into the statehouse of the newly formed Provisional Government of Hawaiʻi. It later became the capitol of the Republic of Hawaiʻi, Territory of Hawaiʻi and State of Hawaiʻi and housed the offices of their respective governors and legislatures.
[edit] Restoration
Then Governor of Hawaiʻi, John A. Burns, oversaw the construction of the Hawaiʻi State Capitol directly behind ʻIolani Palace. When the new capitol building was completed in 1969, Governor Burns decided to vacate all government offices from ʻIolani Palace and undertake an ambitious restoration project. He envisioned the return of ʻIolani Palace to the people of Hawaiʻi in memory of the beloved royal family that had resided in it decades before. When restoration was completed, ʻIolani Palace was opened to the public in 1978 for tours and special events.
[edit] Trivia
- The fictional TV series, Hawaii Five-O, had state police headquarters based in ʻIolani Palace.
- ʻIolani Palace features architecture seen nowhere else in the world. This unique style is known as American Florentine.
- The palace had electricity and telephones even before the White House.
- ʻIolani Palace plays a significant role in the Harry Turtledove books Days of Infamy and End of the Beginning as the seat of the Japanese puppet government of Hawaii.
