The Island of Oahu has changed dramatically from when I first came here in the early 80s - way back in the first flushes of my now abandoned youth. Now it’s transmogrified into a monster-sized tourist mecca on steroids. Huge shopping malls and towering hotel buildings are now built along what was once a smart and pristine beach – Waikiki, once the hangout of surfers and maidens aiming to catch surfers. The beach is still there, it's just hidden behind concrete and glass and most of the good bits of sand are now roped off for the many hotels dotted all along the waterfront.
But if buying $5 Mai Tai’s and watching fat tourists clutching disposable cups full of pop in "I love Las Vegas" t-shirts aren't your thing, there are still a few small pockets of old Hawaii remaining.
One is Doris Dukes amazing mansion - now an Islamic Art Museum and another is a piece of Royal history harking back to the Gilded Age of America.
Sitting in an oasis of calm and tranquility, just a few blocks back from the port of Oahu in amongst old government buildings, is the Iolani Palace. Once the gracious and elegant home of the Hawaiian Monarchy before they were overthrown and the Islands annexed by the American Government in 1893.
The first monarch to fully circle the world by ship, King Kalakaua built the palace in a style coined as “American Florentine” after he was inspired by the grand palaces of the royal households that he had visited on that trip. In his vision of a modern Hawaii, he wanted a building that befitted his sovereignty A vision modelled ostensibly on his new friend, Queen Victoria’s tastes. This is particularly evident in the decorations and furnishings of the residence, even his personal jewellery, displayed in the basement of the Palace, has a remarkable resemblance to that worn by Queen Victoria.
Unfortunately for the king, his extravagant tour around the world and the expensive building programs that he was undertaking to modernise Hawaii played right into the hands of America who, with their eyes on the strategic advantages of the Islands in the Pacific, particularly Pearl Harbour, were able to manipulate him through a number of “friendly pacts”, into ceding ruling power to them and the death knell of the monarchy was set in motion.
After his death, his sister became Queen Liliuokalani, and was to become the last Hawaiian Monarch. She was imprisoned in the palace by the American Authorities during a military coup and later forced to abdicate after being accused of plotting to usurp America and grab back the Monarchy’s power.
The Islands became and remain, as the 51st State of the United States of good ole America and have been their playground ever since.
The Royal Palace after years of neglect, has been returned to its former glory and its once dispersed treasures are slowly being restored to its interiors as they are identified by keen archivists who are retrieving them from the four corners of the earth . Every detail of the Palace screams luxury right down to the sterling silver door hinges and handles that are etched in beautiful designs. It is the only State Royal Residence, albeit "Ex Royal Residence" on American soil.
There is one set of original chandeliers in the Residence, situated in the elegant red throne room. The King had the original Gas fittings converted to electricity after meeting Thomas Edison in the United States on one of his many visits there and declared electricity to be the way of the future. He further declared that he wanted the whole house to be powered by electricity making it the first building in Hawaii to do so and even beating the White house to be converted.
It’s curious however, that there are no light switches in the Palace. The King would ring his engineer in the morning and tell him what time he wanted which lights turned on and what time he wanted them turned off. Not for him the mundane task of flicking a light switch. He had minions for that.
As we left the house we learnt from our guide that in 1993, on the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of their rightful monarch, President Clinton officially apologised to the Hawaiian People for deposing their monarchy. It is an unforgettable wound still felt deeply by many older native Hawaiians.
It’s an interesting scenario to consider what the future of Hawaii would have been, should they have been left to govern themselves.
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