Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to Even the Royals early and ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Hey, everyone. We'll be back next week with an all-new episode of Even the Royals. In the meantime, we're bringing back one of the first queens we ever covered. Yes, and I know I say this about pretty much every queen, but honestly, I love this story so much. It's about Queen Liliu Okalani, the first and last queen of Hawaii.
She fought for what she believed was right, no matter how strong the opposition. It's a truly inspiring tale of a queen who wouldn't give up for her people and for the love of her homeland. And very fun fact. Brooke and I both went to her gardens in Hawaii. We did. Happy listening.
A quick note about our show. We do a lot of research for our stories, but we also aren't your boring high school history class. So some details and scenes are dramatized. And we will be cursing. It's inevitable. Just accept it, babies. Okay, Arisha, we're gonna start... with a little game today. Oh, hell yeah. You know, we love our games. We do love games. We're going to play Two Truths and a Lie. You obviously know how to play that, right? Yes, I do. So I will give you three statements.
you tell me which one I'm making up. First one. Hawaii is the only U.S. state with a royal palace. Two, no building on the Hawaiian island of Kauai can be taller than a coconut tree. And three, in Hawaii, dogs are legally required to take swim lessons. Which one is the lie? Oh my God, that's so cute. I'm going to say the third one is a lie. And you would be correct. Hell yeah, I'm correct. I'm working at an advantage because...
I famously went to Hawaii with my parents recently. And I actually knew some of those things. I didn't like know them, but they triggered something. And I was like, this makes sense. And then also the dog thing was like, there's no way. I know. That's a lot. But. I think that's cute. They should be legally required to take some lessons, you know? Can you imagine? You're getting arrested. Your dog doesn't know how to do the freestyle stroke.
Well, OK, maybe not legally, but like it would be cool if they could save lives, you know? Yeah. But yeah, actually, Hawaii is the only U.S. state with a royal palace, which makes sense because this is even the royals. So that one should have been. Pretty easy to figure out. Well, they have like literal royalty that white people came and ruined. Exactly. That's what we'll talk about today. Oh, yeah, baby.
So before it became a state, the kingdom of Hawaii was ruled by a series of monarchs, including one queen. And that queen is who we are talking about today. Her name was Lilio Kalani. She was a writer, composer, and philanthropist who became a queen at a really difficult time for her kingdom. So like you alluded to, Arisha, a group of wealthy white businessmen.
wanted Hawaii to be taken over by the U.S., and Liliu refused to let that happen. And in true David and Goliath fashion, she fought against all odds and ultimately gave everything she had to protect her homeland. Life-changing. That's how men with low testosterone describe feeling after receiving Manuel's testosterone survey. Manual puts top doctors and a world-class testosterone service at your fingertips.
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It's January 16, 1893, and Hawaii is still an independent kingdom. 54-year-old Queen Liliuokalani looks out the window from the Ohlone Palace in Honolulu. She looks regal and sophisticated in a lavender silk gown. The sun is setting and the city is covered in a pink and orange light. So peaceful. Liliu should be enjoying the view of the sunset. But she can't. The silence is too unnerving. Liliu starts pacing. She should be writing letters or making a plan. Doing something.
Anything to help her people. But deep down, she knows there is nothing more she can do. A few days ago, Lili'u proposed a new constitution for the Kingdom of Hawaii. One that would restore more powers to her as a monarch and grant more rights. the Hawaiian people. This move did not go over well with the wealthy white businessmen who have been weaseling their way into the Hawaiian government for decades. They fear that giving more power to the monarch and native Hawaiians will reduce their own
power and hurt their bottom line. And now, all hell is threatening to break loose in the kingdom. Liliu's thoughts are interrupted by a knock at the door. An aid enters, and his face is grim. Her pulse quickens and she asks him for an update. The aide chokes out that armed American soldiers are marching up from the harbor and towards the royal palace, towards Liliu. Now remember, Hawaii is not a U.S. state at this point, but they do have a trade relationship and they're armed.
living on the islands. So U.S. troops were allowed to be here if they felt their citizens were in trouble. But marching towards the palace, while heavily armed, something's not right. Liliu hurries back to the window, trying to understand. see or hear anything. There's no fighting, no gunfire. It's just quiet. No, I've never been into battle, but something tells me that's not a good sign. Yeah, you're right. Because then she hears...
The beat of military drums. Liliu strains her eyes until she finally sees the formation of U.S. Marines heading up the dark road. Her heart beats faster. There's no point in trying to flee because the Marines... guns seem to be pointing directly at her. And that's when everything snaps into focus. The Americans aren't here to check on their citizens.
From Wondery, I'm Brooke Ziffrin. And I'm Arisha Skidmore-Williams. And this is Even the Royals, where we bring you true stories of the world's kings, queens, and all the wannabes in their orbit. It's a show about pulling back the gilded curtain. Because despite the whole anointed by God thing, royals are just like us.
two-part series is all about Queen Liliu Okalani, Hawaii's first and last queen. During her reign, she'll have to fight threats to the monarchy and her kingdom. But Liliu will do anything to protect her homeland and her people. no matter what it may cost her. This is part one. Girls just want to have political autonomy. Okay, let's jump back to 1842. Liliu Okalani is four years old.
and decades away from being queen. Now, quick sidebar, Liliu Okolani is the name she's given once she becomes the heir apparent. But since history mostly remembers her by this name, or Liliu for short, That's how I will refer to her. Also, there are a lot of Hawaiian names and places in this episode. I'm going to try to do my best to pronounce them all correctly. Truly, I have done my homework. I have studied. I have listened.
but I am sure I will not be perfect. So thank you in advance for being nonjudgmental and for your understanding. It's the early morning and Liliu is... scampering after some classmates as they head towards the dining hall. Lili'u is an ali'i, aka a Hawaiian royal, and she's attending a local boarding school with other royal children. Lili'u laughs as she runs to catch up to a friend, but a teacher yells at her to...
to slow down. Liliu stops laughing and puts her head down obediently. She knows she messed up. Little girls are supposed to walk calmly and be quiet. Yeah, fuck that. Yeah, amen. Be loud, bitches. Yes. She takes a seat in the cramped dining hall and waits patiently as breakfast is put in front of her. Lili Usai's. It's a tiny piece of bread with molasses. Again. She is not a molasses bread stand.
But she knows better than to say a word. At least she has food to eat today. I guess there's like no nutritional content. I know. It's like just giving them straight up sugar. Which I guess the kids would love. Yeah. Now Arisha, you might be wondering why Hawaii's future queen is being treated like this. The thought did cross my mind.
Yeah, well, the school she's attending was created by the current king of Hawaii to teach the highest-ranking chief's children how to become rulers. And it's run by American missionaries. Lili'u and all the other Ali'i have been sent here to learn how to read and write English and behave in so-called polite society. Well, polite by New England Protestant standards. Something Patriots fans could benefit from. Oh, there it is. Got him. Don't come for me. Don't you dare come for me, Patriots fans.
And I got to say, these missionaries run a really tight ship. They don't let the kids wear traditional Hawaiian clothes, and they detest the hula, which is a Native dance tradition. The missionaries found it. too horny okay i'd love to introduce them to twerking oh they'd hate it yeah now as fucked up as this is on a much larger scale At this age, Liliu is probably more focused on filling her always hungry belly and avoiding getting yelled at.
She looks across the table at her six-year-old brother, Kalakoa. He's already scarfed down his food, but Liliu can hear his stomach still rumbling. She wants to help. So when her teacher looks away, Liliu sneaks off to the kitchen and tells the cook she's still hungry. He takes pity on her since she's only four. Liliu smiles and stuffs them in her pocket. It's a tried and true method, okay?
Pockets are for food. Exactly. Liliu returns to the table and hands a roll to her big brother. But Kalaka was not careful enough. catches him red-handed. Liliu watches in horror as the teacher marches over and slaps him in the face. Ooh, no. It's so unfair. I mean, he's hungry and just wanted a little more food. Yeah, he's a kid. Yeah.
growing child. But Liliu knows she can't say a thing. If she's learned one lesson from the missionaries, it's Liliu survived school by keeping her head down and connecting with her classmates. These are the 16 kids who were in line to potentially rule the kingdom one day. Liliu does have a chance to become the next monarch, but she's a long shot. And no, it's not because she's a girl. She's just too far down the line of succession.
But that might not be a bad thing, because Hawaiian politics at this time are no walk in the park. Now, Arisha, do you know anything about Hawaii before it became a U.S. state since you famously visited there not long ago? I know some things. Okay. I know that dogs aren't legally required to know how to swim. Yeah, that is breaking news, honestly. Yeah. Okay, well, it doesn't really matter, you know, because I'm going to give you a 30-second history lesson. Great, great.
So Polynesians were the first people to settle in Hawaii around the 7th century. They lived there for over a thousand years before the first Europeans landed on the islands in the late 80s. late 1700s. Missionaries from New England, like the ones who taught Liliu, weren't far behind. But they aren't the only foreigners taking over Hawaiian land and culture. Starting in the 1830s, American businessmen hear about Hawaii's fertile soil and amazing climate for growing crops, including sugar.
And just like you, when you see that milk is on sale, they start flocking to the islands. I'm still flocking, baby. Yeah. And here's where some of the main problems for our story come into play. Americans start establishing plantations. on the island even though they don't have a legal claim to the land.
yet. Of course they do. But their success and money mean they have a lot of influence over local politics. And they convince the king to start introducing new ideas, including private land ownership. which, amazingly, wasn't a term that even existed in Hawaiian. Now, previously, land was essentially farmed in a communal system. But in 1850, the king passes laws that end up allowing foreigners to own land in Hawaii. Americans... And Europeans quickly take advantage of this by snatching up land.
Land that might otherwise have been used by, and this is a crazy concept, native Hawaiians. Wow. The people that live there. The ones that actually belong there? Yeah. And their mission is simple. Use that land to make money. Oh, capitalism, you saucy minx. I know, you gotta love it. So this is the world Liliu finds herself growing up in. She's Native Hawaiian, but she's being raised by American missionaries to support Western influence.
And the missionary school does their job well, because even by the time Liliu is a teenager, she still doesn't fully understand the gap that's growing between Native Hawaiians and the increasingly powerful white business class. Instead, she keeps her focus on excelling at school and obeying her teachers. And in 1855, when Liliu turned 17, it's time for her to leave school and enter the royal court.
She's still laser-focused on being good and doing what's expected of her as a Hawaiian royal. And as it often does for royal women, this starts with finding a husband. It's 1855 in the Moanalua Valley, about seven miles west of Honolulu. 17-year-old Liliu is riding her horse in a giant royal procession that's 200 riders long. She's returning with the king to Honolulu after his wedding in Moanalua.
Liliu is thrilled to be out and about as part of the king's ride. She's been having a great time at court. Court offers a lot more freedom than school did, and she's starting to come out of her shell. And if you asked her to polka or waltz, she'd get down on the dance floor. God, she and I really are the same person. You really are, yeah. Now, Liliu feels like the world is full of possibility.
And right about now, she also feels the eyes of the 20-something-year-old American dude riding next to her. Being a young woman at court means the pressure to find a match is intense. Lili Wu's not necessarily chomping at the bit to get married. but she knows it's part of her duty as a royal. Marrying into a rich and powerful family, even one that isn't Native Hawaiian, means security. And from a suitor's point of view, Liliu is what the kids these days would call a real snack. She's
Hawaiian with royal bloodlines. So anyone she marries will automatically be tied to the elite of Hawaiian society. Hence this guy riding up beside her with his bedroom eyes. See when I'm on a horse. My eyes are just terror. No bedroom eyes for me. Yeah, I bet. Now, Liliu eyes the young man as he squeaks out a hello. She recognizes this guy. They've actually known each other since they were kids.
His name is John Dominus, and he's a halle, a.k.a. a foreigner, usually of white American or European descent. John isn't the most attractive guy. But there's something about him that draws Liliu in. He's from a wealthy family with ties to her own. He's got a good job, serving as a private secretary for the brother of the king. Plus, if Julia Roberts and Richard Gere taught us anything, it's that flirting on horseback is hot. Is that what they taught us?
That's the only thing they taught us, those two. But while they're flirting, another rider loses control of their horse. Liliu reins her horse in, but John's horse rears and throws him to the ground. Liliu slides off her saddle to help him. But John tries to be a hero and says he's fine, even though his leg is swelling up like a summer sausage. Oh my god. He dusts himself off and insists on escorting Liliu home after the ride.
Even though she is like, that is so not necessary. But the gesture is pretty romantic. So maybe John is worth another look. I'm literally picturing a guy dragging a broken leg trying to escort somebody. And it's like, do you want to go to the hospital or something? It's like, no, just hop on my back. I'll drag us both home. And that's true love. You know what? In this case, it actually is. The two get engaged, and then two years later, in 1862, they get married.
She opts for a chill wedding at a two-story house built by her dad, which, if you live in Hawaii, is probably more stunning than any venue in LA, if we're being honest. That backdrop's probably gorgeous. Uh, it is. Oh, have you been there? You haven't mentioned it. Yeah, I've been to Hawaii. Have I never mentioned it? No. Let me tell you, that backdrop, the stuff of legends. I bet. But marriage isn't the only thing on Liliu's mind.
Because while her life is pretty blissful, the lives of most Native Hawaiians are not. Lili'u lives mostly in her royal court bubble. But as she gets older, she starts to realize just how much... foreigners are changing her homeland. She's seen native Hawaiians die of foreign diseases like smallpox and bump against the bans on Hawaiian traditions like
a ban on the hula. Liliu loves to dance and sing, and she hates to see that beautiful parts of Hawaiian culture start to disappear. So when the king asks Liliu to translate Hawaiian legends, known as Mele, into English, she's hell yeah she's got some serious musical chops and she uses them to write a new national anthem and fun fact liliu also wrote the classic hawaiian song aloha oe which has been in movies like elvis's blue hawaii and
Lilo and Stitch. So really, really wide range of movies for that song to be in. Here's another fun fact. Oh. The only record I own is Hawaiian music. Really? Yeah. It's beautiful. I love Hawaiian music. It is. While Liliu is working to preserve Hawaiian culture, her home life is falling apart. It turns out John is a major mama's boy. They move into his mom's house, and Liliu's new mother-in-law treats her like an intruder.
She's territorial over John and probably a little bit racist too. Get out. I know. Get out of there. Yeah, seriously. Now, Liliu has issues with John as well. They fight over money. And worst of all, it's not long before he starts cheating on her. Okay, you come into her land. I know. Make her live with your mother. Yeah. And then you have the audacity to take your broken leg if it can't even ride a horse and cheat on her. Come on. Yeah, I agree.
So in 1872, 10 years into her marriage, the cherry is placed right on top of Liliu's shit sundae when the king dies. He had become a close friend, and working with him was an escape from her loveless marriage. So now, Liliu is 34 and feeling lost. Hawaii is shook as well, because the king died without a direct heir. And as we all know by now, no heir means a succession crisis.
And this one is a lot, maybe even too much for the Roy family. Oh, that's saying a lot. I know. But let's skip to the important part. Because there's no error, the Hawaiian constitution kicks in and eventually the legislature gets to pick the next monarch. And they choose Liliu's older brother, Kalakoa. The one who got... Beaten for eating bread? Yes, that same one. That poor hungry boy. Lili'u watches from the sidelines as Kalakaua becomes king of Hawaii at age 38.
No one actually predicted he would become Hawaii's next ruler because he has no direct connections to the previous king. But he worked in government before, knows the law, and speaks English fluently. Oh, and one other tiny little thing. He was backed by the sugar barons, who are heavily involved in Hawaiian politics. So that definitely gave him a leg up. Oh my God, that sounds so much like American politics. I know it's crazy how nothing changes. You know? I know. Follow the money.
Now, Liliu is skeptical of the sugar baron's support and if it comes with strings attached, but she's happy for her brother and sticks by his side through the election. And after he becomes king, the monarchy feels stable again. But this stability won't last for long. The Hawaiian monarchy is about to enter its most chaotic season yet.
When these same sugar barons get greedy for even more power. And Liliu is about to be thrown into the middle of it all. Because Kalakua is about to name her as his heir to the kingdom. And to all the trouble that... I'm Raza Jaffrey, and in the latest season of The Spy Who, we open the file on Ewan Montague and Charles Chumley.
the spy who duped Hitler. 1943. Winston Churchill wants to capture Sicily, the key to breaking Hitler. Churchill's spy chiefs devise Operation Mincemeat, one of the war's most daring deceptions. that hopes to make the enemy look in the wrong direction. The success of the plan relies on the unlikeliest of heroes, a deceased homeless man named Glindor Michael. Glindor is given a new name, a cache of fake war plants, and is dropped into enemy waters.
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This season, we're analysing the man who literally changed our minds about everything. The father of psychology, Sigmund Freud. Freud's ideas about sex cause outrage. Is Freud still relevant? Or should we simply give him the slip? Follow Legacy now, wherever you get your podcasts. Or binge entire seasons early and ad-free on Wondery+. It's the summer of 1877, just a few months after 39-year-old Lili'u was named Air.
As she steps out of her carriage, she's greeted by the sound of cheers. Lilihu has just arrived at the plantations of James Campbell, a successful sugar planter in Oahu. Now that she's been named the official heir, She's got a lot of responsibilities, including a goodwill tour of the Hawaiian Islands. which is a responsibility I would welcome. Like, is that even work at that point? It doesn't feel like it. No.
Liliu is taking this very seriously. She might become the monarch one day, so she wants to get out and really meet the people, Hawaiians and Halei alike. Still, Liliu was nervous to make this trip. Her brother wasn't the first-choice king for many Native Hawaiians. Once she's his heir, she might be rejected too. Thankfully, her doubts were nothing. Everywhere Liliu goes, she's treated like a celebrity. She's still getting used to all the attention.
But she has to admit, getting applause every time she enters a room is pretty great. Yeah, who's going to complain about that? I know. I need more of that in my life if I'm being honest. Mm-hmm. And today's Goodwill Tour stop is no different. The Campbells are hosting a lavish banquet in her honor. Liliu takes a seat at the head table. She's relieved the tour has gone so well.
But as tray after tray of food is brought to her, she can't help but notice the acres of sugar cane around them. There used to be plants like taro patches and sweet potato all over these plains. and Native Hawaiians tending to them. But now, the land feels barren. Where the earth used to hold water, the red dirt is now dried and cracked.
The sugarcane plants require a lot of water. Water that used to keep the taro patches healthy. And not far from the plantation, there used to be fish ponds. But they're dried up too, thanks to the sugarcane farming. too familiar story. Liliu's thoughts are interrupted when someone offers her a drink. She looks around at the party, the luxury, the excess. Once upon a time, a night like this would have sent her over the moon. She would have danced and sang all night.
But now the only thing she feels is guilt. Her people and culture are being replaced. And if the sugar baron's power continues to increase, this will only get worse. Four years later, in the winter of 1881, Lili'u gets her first taste of real power. King Kalakawa is away on a world tour, and he names her as regent to rule while he's gone. So now... Our girl's got some real pole in the world. Hell yeah. She should use it to get her mother in jail. Mother-in-law.
Mother-in-law, yeah. A few weeks into Liliu's regenthood, a major crisis strikes when a deadly smallpox outbreak takes over Honolulu. thanks to foreigners bringing it over with them. Yeah, they love to do that to indigenous people. Yeah, God. And it spreads through the native population like wildfire. They don't have any immunity, so almost 90% of people being treated are Hawaiians. Something has to be done, and soon.
The solution is obvious to Liliu. They have to close the ports. She's lived through two epidemics already. She knows firsthand that the disease will kill huge numbers of Native Hawaiians if they don't act quickly. But here's the thing. Closing the ports means pausing trade. which means bad business for sugar barons. And historically, they've been against anything that affects their bottom line. To no one's surprise, of course. Mm-hmm. But Liliu takes this opportunity to do right by her people.
She demands that the ports be closed. And here's the silver lining. The government actually listens to her. And Liliu's instincts obviously turn out to be right. With the ports closed, the spread of the disease slows. Now, I'm no learned doctor like you, Arisha, but even I could have... predicted that outcome, right? Yeah, yeah. The crazy thing is we still had to do something like this again for our pandemic.
Now, Liliu also calls for a strict quarantine for people who are already sick and a national day of prayer for everyone they've lost. The kingdom weathers the epidemic under Liliu's six months as regent, and she's proud of what she accomplished. But Liliu is surprised when her brother isn't so supportive of all her hard work.
In a letter, he mocks her for the day of prayer, telling her she should be working to save people instead. Okay. And Liliu is annoyed. She's like, bitch, what do you think I've been trying to do? My God. Yeah. And then in the same letter... Her brother brags about some new pearls he's bought.
Like, it's not enough. Liliu has been busting her ass, saving their people from a deadly contagious disease. Now she's supposed to be excited about his duty-free shopping. It's truly the epitome of, Kim, there's people that are dying. Yep, literally. Kalakawa returns from his world tour later that fall, and Lili'u is perfectly happy to step down. Being regent was a ton of pressure, but she can't shake the feeling that her brother is the wrong person to lead Hawaii.
and that feeling grows over the next few years. He gives the U.S. Navy exclusive rights to Pearl Harbor, which helps the economy, but many Native Hawaiians view this as a threat to their sovereignty. And then his coronation goes over budget. And his parties, while legendary, are draining the Crown's bank account. And to top it all off, a bombshell report comes out that Kalakawa accepted a bribe from a Chinese businessman in exchange for giving him an exclusive opium license. Okay. Yeah.
And Liliu is worrying more and more about her people and her country. But since she's no longer regent, she has to focus her efforts on more attainable goals, like fundraising to give better education to Native Hawaiian women who aren't royal. Missionary school sucked, but learning to read and write did not. But the more she works to help others, the worse her personal life gets.
She's always wanted children of her own, but unfortunately hasn't been able to have them. And after almost 25 years of marriage, she and her husband John have seriously drifted apart. Now, we don't know why she didn't leave or divorce him, but my money is on wanting to avoid judgment from the public and the press. We know they can be rough. Yes, they can. But with each year, Liliu becomes more lonely and isolated. So she's in a dark place when her brother comes to her with a surprise invite.
His wife and a bunch of other royalty are traveling to London for Queen Victoria's 50th anniversary as monarch, and he asks Liliu to go in his place. Liliu has touched her brother thought of her. Maybe he's not such a jerk after all. The trip to London is a breath of fresh air for Lili'u. Figuratively. The air there was actually terrible in the 1800s, so. Yeah, it was. Now, Liliu spends her evenings going from party to party with her sister-in-law.
Sometimes she feels like an outsider among the British hobnobbing society, but she gets to meet the Queen of Queens herself, Queen Victoria, so that's also pretty cool. It'd be like me meeting my Queen of Queens, Melissa McCarthy. Oh, my God. Who I should have met at the Gracie's. I know. God. But after several weeks abroad, Liliu's good time comes to an end when she gets disturbing news from home.
Apparently, the sugar barons are fed up with Kalakoa's leadership, and they doubt the king's loyalty to their bottom line. So they forced out the king's cabinet and effectively seized control of the kingdom. King Kalakawa is still at the palace, but it may not matter because a coup might have already begun. Oh, hi, Greg James. Hi, Alice Levine. People might know you from the Rounders podcast you do. It's cricket and people will know you, I guess, from, oh, my dad's in a scandal, whatever.
Anyway, whatever podcasts you listen to, you are going to love this. We're here to tell you about the UK's biggest podcast festival, Crossed Wires. Great radio voice. It's three days of your favourite podcast shows, all in iconic venues across Sheffield.
from the 4th to the 6th of July. Let me give you some of the line-up. Go on. So Grimmy and Angela Hartnett are going to be doing Dish live. Amazing. We're also going to have, we need to talk with Paul C. Brunson. No such thing as a fish are going to be there. Tailenders. Thank you. And so is Richard Herring, plus many, many more. Crossed Wires is a weekend of live podcast shows, but also free performances, after parties.
We're generally just going to have a really lovely time. I actually think that line-up's maybe too good. Yeah, who could we lose? Don't answer that. Tickets are on sale now. Head to crossedwires.live to get yours. That's crossed. D-R-O-S-S-E-D. Wires. The usual spelling. Then a full stop. Then the word live. Is that clear? He's brains and beauty. It's July 26, 1887, a few weeks since Liliu first heard about the coup, and she's rushing down a corridor in Iolani Palace.
She just landed back in Honolulu and is desperate to speak with her brother. She wants to know exactly what's been going on, because hearing about a coup while you're on vacation can make you very anxious. But before Liliu can reach the king's quarters, She's intercepted by several men. They tell her they're the king's cabinet. But these aren't the same cabinet ministers who were in place before her trip. Cue the ominous music.
When Liliu left for London, three of the four members had been Native Hawaiians. Now they've all been replaced with white men, mostly foreigners from Britain and America. The only member who's Hawaiian-born is an ambitious politician named Lauren Thurston, but he happens to be a descendant of some of the first missionaries. So, definitely not a great welcome party for Liliu. Not in the least.
But it gets worse. Okay. Earlier that year, Thurston and 12 other men formed a secret organization called the Hawaiian League. Its main goal is to abolish the monarchy and establish Hawaii as an independent republic. They believe this will bring more stability and prosperity to Hawaiian businesses, most of which... which are, of course, owned by foreigners. In order to achieve this, the Hawaiian League needs to rein in the powers of the king by any means necessary.
So this is what Liliu is up against right now as she faces off with the king's new cabinet. But she doesn't back down. She tells Thurston to move his ass out of the way, but he refuses to budge. Thurston says the king isn't seeing anyone. Liliu is like, I don't give a fuck, and pushes past Thurston into her brother's chambers. Love that energy. Me too. She finds Kalakawa alone at his death.
Lili'u is ready to jump all over her brother, but she takes a softer approach. She sits next to him and asks what happened. He explains that he was forced by the men of the Hawaiian League to sign a new constitution. He didn't have a choice. He believes that if he refused to sign, they would have killed him. This new document is going to earn the infamous nickname, the Bayonet Constitution. You know, like he signed it with bayonets pointed directly at him. Nothing says democracy like...
Gun-influenced signing. I know. And this new constitution is a doozy. It strips the monarchy of crucial powers and gives them to the legislature instead, which sounds like a yay for democracy, but not so fast. The legislature is very Sugar Baron friendly, for one. Plus, it says you must own property to run for certain political offices, which excluded many Native Hawaiians. And it gives foreigners who own land the right to vote and more power in politics. God, I hate it here.
I know. Lili'u can't believe what she's hearing. She takes her brother's hands and looks into his eyes. She can see the sadness and defeat. She knows Hawaii's in deep trouble, but she's not sure what they can do about it. Things are looking grim. The bayonet constitution is a disaster, and Hawaii needs an effective leader now more than ever. And so far, Kalakaua hasn't proven to be one. Which is maybe why Lili'u starts to think he should temporarily step down as king.
Now, we don't know exactly what prompted her to think this. Maybe she wants him out of harm's way. Maybe she thinks he's too corrupt. But whatever the reason, she feels like Hawaiians need someone who will actually look out for Hawaii. Her. Now, accounts vary on whether Lili'u would have actually usurped her brother, but there were definitely a lot of anti-Kalakoa people who wanted Lili'u on the throne instead of her brother. And she does think she could help out in the interim.
So eventually, the idea of some temporary sisterly help is floated to him on the DL. Unsurprisingly, he's pissed that she would even consider it. Now they're in a fight. At one point, Kalakoa even refers to Liliu as Kipi, a.k.a. a traitor. which definitely makes for some awkward family dinners. Yeah. Classic sibling rivalry, really. It really is. Yeah. I could see you and your brothers doing this. Oh, yeah. I would usurp the shit out of them. Oh, yeah. In a heartbeat. And things get worse.
A Hawaiian man named Robert Wilcox decides that Liliu should be in charge and that a violent coup is the best way to make this happen. So he basically wants to coup the couped government, which is some serious Inception-level shit there. Yeah. Now, Liliu doesn't endorse his plan. The last thing she wants is for Hawaiian blood to be spilled in her name. But Wilcox doesn't listen. And on July 30th, 1889, he and 150 men attack Ohlone Palace.
Bullets fly, and they manage to occupy some government buildings, but the rebellion is quickly put down. Kalakaua is still king, but he's powerless to stop his haole cabinet, who order all military equipment to be moved from the palace to... headquarters. They also downsized the king's guard. They're not going to risk another rebellion. And then, like that's not enough, rumors spread that Lili'u was in on the whole thing. She denies it, and in the end, she weathers the storm.
but all the chaos takes a toll on her health. And the whole disaster drives a bigger wedge between her and Kalakawa. Lili'u loves her brother. but she wants what's best for Hawaii. And at this point, that means all eyes on the men who threaten her kingdom and getting them the hell out of town. A year and a half later, 52-year-old Liliu walks through the corridors of Iolani Palace. She's on her way to meet with the king's cabinet.
And the quiet of the day makes her worry that something bad is about to happen. In the last few years, there's been an uneasy peace. But Hawaiians are still living under that terrible bayonet constitution. For the past two months, the Li'u has been ruling as regent again while her brother is traveling. But things with the king have been less than smooth. They're still beefing since she tried to get him to step down temporarily. Thing is, Liliu doesn't even want to be regent this time.
When Kalakua told her he was leaving again, she was already sick with exhaustion. And Hawaii needs a leader who can give their best. Thanks to all the shit that's gone down the past few years, Liliu feels like she's running on fumes. But still, she agreed to help. She enters the Blue Room, where the ministers wait.
And let's just say the mood in the room is equally as blue as the paint on the walls. The look on the minister's faces is like they've seen a ghost. No one will look at her. Her pulse starts to race. She knows this is the other shoe dropping. A minister rises to his feet and tells Lili'u that the king's ship came into port this morning. Lili'u is surprised. Her brother wasn't due to return home yet. Why has he come back so soon?
The minister pauses, trying to find the words. Uh-oh. He finally tells her the king has died. Oh, dear. Liliu is stunned. Her brother is gone. She fights back her tears, trying not to lose it. She and her brother never settled their score. She might have disagreed with him, but she still loved him.
Now she wonders if he knew that. But she can feel all the men in the room looking at her. So Liliu smooths her hands across her hair. She thanks the minister for breaking the news to her and starts to walk out of the room. Then a third shoe she didn't even know existed dropped. The minister says she can't leave yet. Liliu glares at him. What does he mean I can't leave? The minister holds up a piece of paper. Liliu needs to swear her oath as queen.
and her oath to uphold the bayonet constitution. Like, right now. Oh, God. Constitutions are nothing but trouble. I know. Liliu is thrown. She needs to do this now? Her brother's not even in the ground. She looks around the room at all the men staring back at her, and it hits her. They're not sad that Kalakawa's gone. They just want their businesses to keep running smoothly.
Liliu works to keep her hand from shaking as she takes the paper. If she agrees to swear her oath now, she'll be locking herself into the same damn constitution that her brother was forced to sign four years ago. And if she does this...
Any hopes of making real change go out the window. She'll be a puppet for these assholes just as much as her brother was. Now I would love for this to be the moment where she's like, you know what? No. And then physically fights them all one by one and takes back power. Oh, hell yeah. Yeah. But the reality is, there's no way out for Liliu. She's surrounded, literally, by a bunch of dudes with power. Her mouth suddenly feels very dry. They're not going to let her leave this room without signing.
But even if she doesn't have a choice, she can still be dignified about it. Liliu holds her head high as she takes a seat at the desk. Her hand only trembles a little as she signs her name at the bottom of the oath. So they got her to sign in the same way they got her brother to sign. I mean, pretty much, fuckers. She wants to cry or throw up or punch one of these assholes in the throat. but her face remains emotionless. Liliu is now the queen of Hawaii, whether she likes it or not.
But as difficult as this moment is, she resolves right then and there to raise hell with the crown on her head. For her land and for her people, she'll take a stand, even if it means risking her own life. Follow Even the Royals on the Wondery app, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to every episode of Even the Royals early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts.
Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at wondery.com slash survey. This is Girls Just Want to Have Political Autonomy, part one of our two-part series on Queen Liliu Okolani. We use many sources when researching our stories, but we especially recommend Lost Kingdom by Julia Flynn Seiler and Hawaii's Story by Hawaii's Queen, written by...
You can follow us, your hosts, on socials at Arisha Skidmore-Williams and at Brooke Ziffrin. I'm Brooke Ziffrin. And I'm Arisha Skidmore-Williams. Andrew Barbeau wrote this episode. Story editing by Michaela Bly and sound design by...
Ada. Our cultural consultant was Noah Hanohano-Dolem. Our associate producer is Hannah Ward. Our coordinating producer is Taylor Sniffen, and our managing producer is Sophia Martins. Rachel Engelman and Julie McGruder are our producers, and our executive Producers are Jenny Lauer-Beckman, Ginny Bloom, Marsha Louis, and Erin O'Flaherty for Wondery. Injustice, Killer Privilege is a new podcast available exclusively on Wondery Plus. It follows Katia Faber's fight for justice.
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