Queen Emma

Queen Emma was a fascinating character in Hawaii history. We previously learned that she was a co-founder of the Queen's Hospital, which is today a large and well-respected medical facility in Honolulu. Let's find out a little more about this former first lady.

There was opposition to Emma's marriage to King Kamehameha IV because she was not a full blooded Hawaiian. She was one-quarter Caucasian and seen by some as 'not fit' to become queen. Nevertheless, she and the King were married in 1856. The king and queen had a son, Albert, who was born on May 20, 1858.

During the hotter summer months, the family retreated to cooler Nu'uanu Valley estate. The building that became the Queen Emma Summer Palace was built in Boston in 1848, shipped to Hawaii, and assembled on Oahu. Owned by Emma's uncle, John Young, the house was given to Emma in 1857. The Nu'uanu upland breezes and moisture were a welcome relief for the family from the heat of downtown Honolulu. Beautifully landscaped with many native Hawaiian plants, the grounds frame this restored historic landmark and museum that houses many of Queen Emma's personal possessions, as well as those of her husband and son. Only a short drive from Honolulu at 2913 Pali Highway, the house is a famed tourist spot that features many items of historic interest.

Sadly, Prince Albert Edward Kamehameha died at the age of four in 1862. His grief-stricken father, who blamed himself for the boy's death, died a year later. King Kamehameha IV was only 29.

To ease her pain at the loss of both her son and husband, Emma devoted herself to many causes, among which was organizing a women's hospital auxiliary to assist the patient at the Queen's Hospital. She and her husband had previously established the Church of Hawaii, which was an offshoot of the Church of England. In 1865 she sailed to England where she and Queen Victoria raised $30,000 for the construction of St. Andrews Cathedral. Emma also helped found two schools, St. Andrews Priory School for Girls in Honolulu and St. Cross in Lahiaina on Maui. Queen Emma also had a part in the founding of an Episcopal secondary school for boys, eventually named 'Iolani School.

Known affectionately as the "Old Queen" after Kamehameha's death, Emma never remarried. She uniquely retained many aspects of both the English and also the Hawaiian lifestyles. She was a lifelong friend of Queen Victoria and had many of the characteristics of a typical tea-drinking English lady. She was baptized into the Anglican Church, and yet she wrote chants in Hawaiian and loved fishing and camping. She was beloved by the Hawaiian people and took very seriously her role as a protector of the people's welfare.

King Kalakaua, who succeeded her husband, always reserved a seat for Emma at any royal occasion, but she rarely attended. In their fundamental beliefs, Kalakaua was pro-American, whereas Emma was pro-English. In 1883, Emma suffered the first of several small strokes and died tow years later at the age of 49. She was given a royal funeral and was laid to rest in Mauna Ala, next to her husband and son. Emma was truly the first Hawaiian public figure to live a tradition of cross-culturalism that is a huge part of Hawaii society today.

Queen Emma of Hawai'i

Hawaii's history is full of interesting stoires and personalities. One of the more beloved and influential characters is Queen Emma, who co-founded The Queen's Medical Center.

Emma, who was one-quater Caucasian, was born in January 1836 to High Chief George Na'ea and High Chiefess Fanny Kekelaokalani Young. Before her birth, though, baby Emma had been promised to her aunt through adoption, or the Hawaiian tradition of hanai. Chiefess Grace Kama'iku'i Young Rooke and her husband, Dr. Thomas C.B. Rooke were unable to have children, and raised Emma as their own.

Dr. Rooke was a young English surgeon who was serving as the court physician.
Grace was the only royal part-Hawaiian chiefess to marry a white man in her generation.

Growing up in Honolulu at Rooke House, Emma acquired a broad education influenced by her adoptive parents' backgrounds in both cultures. She became very well read, fluent in Hawaiian and English, and was famous for her accomplishments as a horsewoman. She also sang, played piano and danced.

At 20, Emma married Alexander Liholiho, who was also known as King Kamahameha IV. She became Queen Consort Emma Kalanikaumakaamano Kaleleonalani Na'ea Rooke. What's a queen consort? it simply means that she was the wife of a reigning king.

The Young queen soon became involved in matters of the court, particularly in humanitarian efforts and expansion of the scholarly library. Influenced by her hanai father, she encouraged her husband to establish a public hospital to help native Hawaiians.

Visitors to the Islands had brought diseases like smallpox with them that the natives had no defense against, and which were rapidly decimating the population. The king and queen personally gathered over $13,000 by going door to door in Honolulu, and in 1859, they established The Queen's Hospital. Dr. Rooke died only a few months before its completion. Named in Emma's honor, the hospital had 18 patient beds. Within a year, a large building was built with an additional 124 beds.

It took time to convince the Hawaiians to take advantage of the new hospital, as many prefered their traditional healing methods. The queen formed an organization to promote the hospital's services to the natives, and visited patients there almost daily whenever she was in residence in Honolulu. It is now called the Queen's Medical Center.

Queen Emma, often said, "People are the key to healing." The Queen's Medical Center has adopted a philosophy of care called Lokomaika'i, to honor that statement. Lokomaika'i translates as "inner health."

At her death, Emma left the bulk of her estate, some 13,000 acres of land on the Big Island and in Waikiki on Oahu, in trust for the hospital that honors her. The Queen Emma Foundation was set up to provide continuous lease income for the hospital. Some of its holdings include the land where the International Marketplace and Waikiki Town Center building sit.