The King, the Wizard, and the Palace

 

Iolani Palace  photographed January 2026 by Charles Brown

Portrait of King David by William F. Cogswell
 Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The last king and penultimate monarch of Hawaii was King David Kalākaua AKA the Merrie Monarch, During his reign, which (1874–1891) he endeavored to place Hawaii on the map as a modern, independent state.

To that end, the king ordered the construction of a royal residence majestic enough to receive visitors from around the globe and to entertain them in regal fashion with formal, multi-course dinners and elegant balls. That was the vision of the Iolani Palace.

The cornerstone for the palace was laid in December 1789, and it was was completed in 1882. The cost of construction exceeded $340,000 that would be over $11.5 million in 2026.

But that amount was exceeded what it cost to replace its gas lighting with electricity as per the king's orders. That amounted to over $400,000, according the docent who gave the tour of the place we had (I can't locate published sources for this).

The king ordered the system of gas lighting ripped out and replaced with electricity that lit up the palace ground for the celebration of his 50th birthday in November 1886, which was 5 years earlier than the electrification of the White House.

How did that happen?

A king of firsts 

The king set out in 1881 on a world tour that earned him the distinction of being the first reigning monarch to circumnavigate the globe. Travelling by both ship and train over 281 days, he visited key countries and state leaders in the Middle East, the Far East, Europe, and America.

In addition to introducing Hawaiian culture to the world, he sought to establish diplomatic partnerships and agreements to import people for labor, particularly from Japan. He also came to learn about the technological advances of the day. This wasn't just academic; he fully intended to implement what he saw into his new palace. For example, he had a phone installed in the palace in 1883 and he spared no expense in achieving an even more ambitious vision.

Throne Room in Iolani Palace (photo by Charles Brown) The feathered-top standards on both sides of  the thrones are the signs of royalty that accompanied the kings and queens of Hawaii called Kāhilie 

King David Kalākaua arrived in Paris in time to see the the first International Exposition of Electricity that ran August 15 through November 15, 1881 at the Palais de l'Industrie on the Champs-Élysées. He was so taken by this source of power that he made a point of meeting Thomas Edison, the Wizard of Menlo Park, during his stop in New York.


The two met at the Edison Electric Lighting Company headquarters in New York City on September 25, 1881, and the king became convinced that his dreams of a truly modern palace with electric power was possible. By 1887, the main rooms of the palace were also electrified, and he could boast of having the very latest in technology in Hawaii.

The beginning of the end? 

It certainly made a statement, though it also came at what critics of the king and monarchy in general considered too great. There were those who sought to undermine the monarchy altogether. They forced the king to agree to a constitution that greatly diminished his power. Her was succeeded by his sister, Queen Liliʻuokalan, in 1891, and she only got to rule for two years before the government was overthrown by American forces. 

A short but fascinating history

Statue of King Kamehameha I (photo by Charles Brown

The golden age of Hawaii as associated with its monarchy only endured for 98 years, It began in 1795 when King Kamehameha I AKA King Kamehameha the Great unified the islands into a single state through conquest and surrender, thanks to not just his own strategy but the superior firepower of guns and canons he obtained from Europeans who came to the area. The kingdom often veered from the traditional father-to-son succession due to the fact that so few of the monarch had children who survived them to take over.


While you can look up information online and check out books, the best way to learn more about the history of Hawaii and its kings and queens by scheduling a tour at the Iolani Palace. (Should you drive, be aware that the parking lot is woefully inadequate, and you will probably need to find metered parking on a nearby street.)

You also can learn about the see some of the history and see the largest collection of preserved Kāhilies in the world at the Bishop Museum. Be sure to take the guided tour. It was worth the price of admission just for that because we gained a lot of insight that was not included in the signs. Also be sure to take a look at the wonderfully preserved feathered cloak and helmet that were presented to Captain Cook, which the guide also spoke about. (Free street parking is plentiful just outside the paid parking lot of the museum.)

Related: 
How many times did Edison fail in attempting to invent the lightbulb?