Sunday, 15 November 2026

King Kamehameha II and Queen Kamamalu died of measles in England in 1824

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King Kamehameha II and Queen Kamamalu died of measles in England in 1824

In 1824 the King and Queen of Hawaii, Kamehameha II and Kamamalu, visited Britain. The second ruler of the islands, Kamehameha, like his father, the founder of the kingdom, relied on the might of British and American arms, particularly in view of the revolts that kept flaring up against him.

But, alas, having arrived in England, the king and queen caught measles and died shortly before their scheduled audience with the British monarch.

The few surviving members of the Hawaiian delegation, who had arrived earlier, presented George IV at Windsor Castle with national cloaks and capes, the “ahu ula”.

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