Princess Ruth Ke'elikōlani was godmother to Princess Victoria Ka'iulani, last heir to the throne of Hawai'i.

Ruth Ke'elikōlani, also known as Princess Ruth (1826-1883), was a member of both the Kamehameha Dynasty and Kalākaua Dynasty, and Governor of the Island of Hawai'i. Ruth became the largest landholder in the Kingdom of Hawai'i, owner of lands that would later become part of the present-day Kamehameha Schools/Bernice Pauahi Bishop Estate as well as the estate of Sam Parker .

Considered the least understood of the ali'i, or royal family of Hawai'i, Ruth was one of the more pivotal and influential characters in Hawaiian history. She was the great-granddaughter of Kamehameha the Great who created the united Kingdom of Hawai'i in 1810. She was the sister of Queen Victoria Kamamalu, wife of Liholiho who reigned as Kamehameha II. She was godmother to Princess Ka'iulani. After the death of Princess Miriam K. Likelike, Ruth made it a point to ensure Ka'iulani would be raised properly befitting her role as heir to the throne of Hawai'i after the reign of Queen Lili'uokalani. Unfortunately, events and Ka'iulani's untimely death prevented Ka'iulani from fully assuming that role. (See Republic of Hawaii).

Life of Tragedy

Of all the ali'i, scholars believe that Ruth was most underestimated in the consideration of her vast achievements. She may have been underestimated, they say, because she did not have the beauty and personage that other members of the royal family enjoyed. And while famous for her achievements, Ruth's life was plagued with tragedies. As soon as she was born, her mother died. After she got married, her 22 year old husband died. All three of her natural children died as children, including Prince William Pitt Kina'u who was only 17. Leleihoku, heir to the throne of Hawai'i and adopted son of Ruth, was inflicted with rheumatic fever and died.

Defender of Tradition

Ke'elikōlani with Sam Parker, left, and J.H. Cummins. She was an adept land trustee and administrator.

Ruth was a staunch defender of ancient Hawaiian traditions and customs. While the kingdom became Christianized, Anglicized and urbanized, she continued living as an ali'i of antiquity. While her royal estates were filled with elegant palaces and mansions built for her family, she chose to live in a large stone-raised grass hut. While she understood English and knew how to speak it with ease and grace, she refused to do so. She used the Hawaiian language exclusively throughout her life. She also refused to accept Christianity and continued to worship the traditional gods and various aumakua, or ancestral spirits.

Ruth disliked modernization. When the ruling monarchs asked her to pose for official photographs, she often refused. Only a dozen photographs of Ruth are known to exist.

Legacy

It is on lands owned by Ruth that such sites as downtown Honolulu, Hickam Air Force Base, Honolulu International Airport, Kamehameha Schools, Moana Hotel, Princess Kaiulani Hotel, Royal Hawaiian Hotel, among others exist today.

See also

• Hulihe'e Palace – Kailua-Kona home of Princess Ruth
• Keoua Hale – Palace of Princess Ruth