Princess Likelike

Princess Likelike

Princess Likelike was a 19th‑century Hawaiian aliʻi who played a prominent role in the cultural life of the Hawaiian Kingdom as a composer, patron, and public figure. A sibling of King David Kalākaua and Queen Liliʻuokalani, she moved within the royal court and engaged with international visitors, local leaders, and cultural institutions during a period marked by dynastic consolidation, diplomatic exchange, and artistic renaissance. Her legacy endures through mele, patronage, and participation in charitable and civic activities that connected Honolulu to broader Pacific and Western circles.

Early life and family

Born in Honolulu in 1851, she was the daughter of Abner Pākī and Laura Kōnia, linking her to chiefly lineages associated with Kamehameha I and the aliʻi of Oʻahu. Her upbringing took place amid households that interacted with missionaries such as Hiram Bingham I and Josiah Lott, as well as with foreign consuls from United States and United Kingdom diplomatic missions in Honolulu. Likelike’s siblings included Kalākaua and Liliʻuokalani, figures central to the Hawaiian monarchy’s restoration and political life during the reign of Kamehameha V and the subsequent accession of Kalākaua. Educated in part by private tutors and exposed to musical traditions from ʻāina gatherings to court performances, she encountered musicians and composers from Europe and America, along with Hawaiian chanters and hula practitioners who continued indigenous practices despite Protestant missionary influence.

Marriage and role in the Hawaiian monarchy

Her marriage to Archibald Scott Cleghorn, a Scottish businessman and civil servant active in Hawaiian commerce and landholding, reinforced ties between native aliʻi and immigrant mercantile elites who interacted with entities such as the House of Kalākaua and the royal household. As a member of the royal family she participated in state occasions, entertained foreign dignitaries including representatives of the United States and the British Empire, and contributed to ceremonial life alongside monarchs like King Kalākaua and Queen Kapiʻolani. Likelike’s salon and residence served as venues for cultural exchange among visitors from San Francisco, Sydney, and London, and for local figures from Honolulu’s civic sphere, including judges, legislators of the Hawaiian Kingdom Legislature, and clergy from the Hawaiian Evangelical Association. Her position also intersected with land and property matters involving the Great Māhele aftermath and legal interactions with American and European commercial enterprises.

Musical and cultural contributions

Princess Likelike was an accomplished composer and patron whose mele and songs contributed to the Hawaiian musical renaissance associated with her siblings and contemporaries. She composed chants and songs that circulated in Honolulu salons and at royal assemblies, joining a cultural revival alongside composers like Queen Liliʻuokalani, King Kalākaua, and Charles Reed Bishop. Her works were performed by hula ʻauana troupes and chamber groups that included local musicians trained on Western instruments such as piano and violin imported from Boston and London. Likelike promoted Hawaiian language songwriting while also embracing Western musical forms, engaging with visiting performers from New York City, Paris Conservatory alumni, and Pacific Islander artists. Her patronage supported cultural institutions and events that brought together chanters, hula dancers, and composers, reinforcing Honolulu’s role as a Pacific cultural hub during the late 19th century.

Public service and philanthropy

Active in charitable endeavors, she joined other royal women in funding relief and philanthropic initiatives connected to hospitals, orphan care, and relief during epidemics that affected Honolulu and leeward communities. She worked alongside figures such as Queen Emma supporters, members of the Hawaiian Relief Society, and clergy who administered local benevolence. The princess engaged with medical professionals and institutions like physicians trained in Honolulu Hospital practices and with missionary‑founded schools that continued to serve Hawaiian children. Her efforts intersected with civic leaders, including members of the Privy Council and local merchants, to address social needs and to sustain cultural programs that offered instruction in mele, hula, and native crafts.

Later life and death

During the final years of her life she continued musical composition, hosted receptions for international envoys, and remained involved in charitable projects as the Kingdom navigated increasing political and economic pressures from foreign interests. Her death in 1887 in Honolulu occurred during a period of intensified constitutional and diplomatic tensions involving figures such as Lorrin A. Thurston, Albert S. Baker, and representatives of United States business interests. Her burial and commemorations engaged royal protocols observed by Kalākaua and Liliʻuokalani, and her musical legacy was preserved by musicians, family members, and cultural practitioners who transmitted songs and chants across generations. Princess Likelike’s contributions are memorialized in Hawaiian music anthologies and in the continuing performances of mele that reflect the 19th‑century revival of Hawaiian culture.

Category:Royalty of the Hawaiian Kingdom Category:Hawaiian composers Category:1851 births Category:1887 deaths