by River Roshana

Created on: May 12, 2009   Last Updated: June 02, 2009

When the Divine Right of Kings ended, that didn't mean that the Lolani Palace would be consigned to obscurity. Now, one of the Heritage sites of America, the palace which was built by King Kalakaua in 1882, is one of the most visited palaces in the world and the only Royal Palace that ever existed in the history of the United States. It used to be the official residence of the Hawaiian monarchy which was the seat of power of the former Kingdom of Hawaii.

Admittedly for a while, it seemed neglected until the 1970s when Hawaiians and other Americans decided to come up with a huge effort to restore this unique historical landmark. It remains a continuing effort though, but today's tourists have been amazed at the almost perfect restoration of the palace. The restoration was important particularly for the Hawaiian Americans who believed that losing the palace completely would be tantamount to erasing a huge portion of Hawaiian history and culture. After all, the Hawaiian monarchy was unlike those other European monarchies and it had its own distinctive difference.

Today, the palace stands as it did years ago, almost fully restored. The first floor is still the public reception area where the guests or the subjects waited decisions of the King or Queen. The first floor includes the Grand Hall, the State Dining Room and several reception rooms. Further on is the Throne Room where presumably the monarch took his/her seat to address his guests or subjects. Then the second floor has the monarch's family rooms - like the King and Queens suites, Music and Recreation Room, and the rather infamous Imprisonment Room where Queen Lili'uokalani was held under house arrest after she was deposed and her government overthrown.

Equally important however are the palace grounds because they are believed to be sacred ancestral lands. It was the site of an ancient heiau (place of worship). Some historians claim that was why in 1845, King Kamehameha III decided to establish his palace on this site. Five other kings followed him until the palace was demolished sometime 1874 and another one built and completed in 1882 also in the same area.

Palace tours are now offered to tourists and locals everyday except Sunday and Monday. Guided tours offer visitors a chance to see the Palace Galleries, listen to historical lectures and even view videos of the the way the palace used to look like. Historic items are also displayed at the Palace Galleries including the crown jewels and the ancient

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>