Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa, Hawaii's so-called "last princess", has passed away aged 96.
The
royal, known to her friends as Kekau, was one of the last living links
to the royal family deposed by US industrialists and was celebrated for
her philanthropic support of traditional Hawaiian culture.
The
heiress died peacefully at home in Honolulu on Sunday with her wife by
her side, according to a statement released by Iolani Palace, the
historic home of the royal family - and America's only royal residence.
"Abigail
will be remembered for her love of Hawai'i and its people," said her
wife, Veronica Gail Kawānanakoa. "I will miss her with all of my heart."
No cause of death has yet been given.
Abigail Kawānanakoa was born in Honolulu in 1926 and later attended school in Shanghai and California.
Her
great wealth, which is estimated to be $215m (£175m) and was held in
trust, came from her great-grandfather, James Campbell, an Irish
businessman who owned a sugar plantation.
His
daughter married Prince David Kawānanakoa, who was third in line for
the throne of the Kingdom of Hawaii when the royal family was overthrown
by American businessmen in 1893.
At
the time, the role of US nationals in the coup was controversial, and
President Grover Cleveland describing their involvement in the overthrow
of the Hawaiian monarchy an "embarrassment".
After
the prince's death in 1908, his widow adopted their grandchild through
the traditional Hawaiian custom of 'hānai', which strengthened Abigail's
claim to the informal title of princess.
While
some genealogists claimed that Princess Kawānanakoa had the strongest
royal ties to Hawaii, a separate offshoot of the former royal family
claims that Princess Owana Ka'ohelelani is the rightful head of the
modern-day dynasty.
Mrs
Kawānanakoa herself admitted in a 2021 interview with Honolulu Magazine
that had the monarchy survived, her cousin Edward Kawānanakoa would
have been in line to rule ahead of her, based on the rules of
succession.
"Of course I would be the power behind the throne, there's no question about that," she joked in the interview.
Among
her acts of philanthropy, Mrs Kawānanakoa funded scholarships for
indigenous Hawaiians and contributed to the upkeep of Iolani Palace,
which is now a museum.
The
Abigail KK Kawananakoa Foundation, which was set up in 2001, put aside
$100m (£81m) of her wealth to support native Hawaiian causes upon her
death, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Friends
also praised her sense of mischief, and she was known to test religious
leaders for offering them large sums of money - sometimes in exchange
for outrageous demands.
Jim
Wright, who was her personal attorney since 1998, recalled that she
once agreed to a request from the Catholic Diocese of Honolulu of
$100,000 (£81,281). She agreed to make the payment, but only if she
could get a photo of Pope Benedict XVI accepting her check.
Hawaii's
governor, Josh Green, was among those to pay tribute to Mrs
Kawānanakoa, saying he and his wife were "deeply saddened" by the loss.
"Abigail
bore the weight of her position with dignity and humility, enriched the
lives of everyone she touched, and like so many Aliʻi who came before
her, she has left a legacy dedicated to her people in perpetuity."
He had ordered that flags be flown at half mast for the rest of Sunday in her honour.
However, Hawaiian activist Walter Ritte has told local media that her impact on indigenous culture was minimal.
"We didn't quite understand what her role was and how she could help us," he is quoted as saying.
But
Senator Jarrett Keohokalole and Representative Daniel Holt, leaders of
the US legislature's Hawaiian members, hailed her generosity and
contributions, which they said had greatly aided the island's culture
and community.
Her
own views on the matter were clear, and in a court appearance in 2019
over the management of her wealth, she told the judge that "heritage
dictates that I must take care of the Hawaiian people".
