Name Abigail Kekaulike | ||
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Occupation Royalty, Rancher, Equestrian, Philanthropist Parent(s) Lydia Liliuokalani KawananakoaWilliam Jeremiah Ellerbrock Died December 11, 2022 (aged 96) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. | ||
Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike KawÄnanakoa Top # 5 Facts
Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa (April 23, 1926 – December 11, 2022), sometimes called Kekau, was a member of the House of Kawānanakoa. She was referred to by many as a princess, a common honorary bestowed to descendants of titled subjects of the Kingdom of Hawaii or important figures in Hawaiian history, although she holds no official title and wields no power or influence in the Hawaiian state government.
Contents
- Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawnanakoa Top 5 Facts
- Birth and early life
- Equine endeavors
- Family legacy
- Death
- References
Birth and early life
She was the only child of Lydia Liliuokalani Kawānanakoa, born during her marriage with William Jeremiah Ellerbrock. At the age of six, she was legally adopted by her grandmother, Princess Abigail Campbell Kawānanakoa, in the Hawaiian tradition of hānai with the intention that she remain a direct heir to a possible restoration of the kingdom. As Liliʻuokalani's great grand niece, she was considered heir apparent should restoration of the monarchy occur.
Equine endeavors
She was an expert horsewoman and owner of ranches in Hawaii, California, and Washington State. She was a 20-year cumulative breeder of AQHA quarter horses; her horses’ many victories include the 1993 All American Futurity (G1) with A Classic Dash and the 1995 Los Alamitos Million Futurity (G1, now the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity) with Evening Snow. After winning "the richest race in the quarter horse world", she retired A Classic Dash from racing to stand at her Lakeview Quarter Horse Ranch in California. Due to her support of the equine medicine program at Colorado State University, on May 13, 2016, she was awarded an honorary degree.
Family legacy
She was the president of the Friends of ʻIolani Palace from 1971 to 1998, succeeding her mother, who founded the organization. The palace was built by her great-granduncle, King David Kalākaua. She was active in various causes for the preservation of native Hawaiian culture, including the restoration of ‘Iolani Palace.
She was heiress to the largest stake in the estate of her great-grandfather, James Campbell, a 19th-century industrialist from Ireland. When the estate was converted into a corporation in 2007, her share was estimated to be about US$250 million.
In 2013 Kawānanakoa requested to be buried in a new crypt at the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii at Mauna ʻAla directly adjacent to the Wylie Tomb. The request was approved by the State Land Board in April 26, 2013, but the decision became controversial in the Hawaiian community.
Death
Kawānanakoa died of complications of a stroke on December 11, 2022, at the age of 96. Her death was announced in the Hawaiian language at ʻIolani Palace. Governor Josh Green ordered all flags to be flown at half-staff out of respect for Kawānanakoa.
The Kawānanakoa family announced that she would lay-in-state at ʻIolani Palace in a public memorial. A private funeral would also be held at the Royal Mausoleum at Mauna ʻAla on January 23, 2023.