British Museum to mark 200 years since Hawaiian Royals visited London

"The young Hawaiian King ascended to the throne in 1819 at the age of 22. In 1824, his court set sail for London to pay a visit to King George IV, arriving in May of that year. A notable curiosity in London, his entourage attracted a lot of attention as he travelled around, and he included a visit to the British Museum - the first record of Native Hawaiian aliʻi (chiefs and royals) at the Museum. However, while in London, the Hawaiian court had caught measles, to which they had no immunity. Both the King and Queen died from the disease while in London, and were later returned to Hawaiʻi to be buried in their homeland."

"To commemorate this period, the British Museum exhibition will showcase a rare collection of early Hawaiian treasures, many of which have never been seen in the UK. Among the highlights is a magnificent ʻahu ʻula (feathered cloak) sent in 1810 by the first king of unified Hawaiʻi, Kamehameha I, to King George III the largest known example of its kind. The cloak will be on display for the first time in over 100 years, alongside the Hawaiian king's original letter requesting support and protection from the Crown. Other top exhibits will include a nine-foot kiʻi (image) of the god Kū, the god of warfare and governance, and the Anglo-Franco proclamation of 1843, which formally recognised Hawaiʻi's independence."

The British Museum will host a major exhibition of Hawaiian culture to mark the bicentenary of King Kamehameha II's 1824 visit to London. The young king and his court travelled to London in 1824, attracting public attention and making the first recorded Native Hawaiian aliʻi visit to the Museum. While in London the court contracted measles, and both the King and Queen died and were returned to Hawaiʻi for burial. The visit initiated diplomatic links between the UK and Hawaiʻi. The exhibition presents rare early Hawaiian treasures, many unseen in the UK, including a large ʻahu ʻula, a nine-foot kiʻi of the god Kū, the Hawaiian king's original letter to the Crown, and the Anglo-Franco proclamation of 1843, emphasising care, sovereignty, and historical cross-cultural ties.

Read at ianVisits