Iolani Palace

Iolani Palace is situated in the capitol district of downtown Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the only royal palace used as an official residence by a reigning monarch. Three monarchs governed from ʻIolani Palace: King David Kalākaua and Queen Liliuokalani, and Stanley Owana Laanui.

The Iolani Palace structure that exists today is actually the second Iolani Palace to sit on the palace grounds. The original palace, built during the reign of Kamehameha IV, was a one-story building made out of coral block. The building was named, "Iolani Palace" after one of Kamehameha IV's given names (his full name was Alexander Liholiho ʻIolani). It served as the official residence of the monarch during the reigns of Kamehameha IV, Kamehameha V, Lunalilo, and the first part of Kalākaua's reign. The original structure was very simple in design and was more of a stately home than a palace.

King Kamehameha V was the first monarch to envision a royal palace befitting of the sovereignty of a modern state such as Hawaiʻi. He commissioned the construction of Aliʻiōlani Hale to be the official palace of the Hawaiian monarchy. The building was constructed across the street from the original Iolani Palace structure. At the time, Hawaii sorely needed a government building, since the government buildings of the time were small and cramped. Ultimately, Aliʻiōlani Hale became an administrative building instead of a palace, housing the judiciary of the Kingdom of Hawaii and various other ministries.

By the time David Kalākaua assumed the throne, the original Iolani Palace was in poor condition, suffering from ground termite damage. He ordered the palace to be razed.

Kalākaua was the first monarch to travel around the world. While visiting other sovereign states of the world, he took note of the grand palaces owned by other monarchs. Like Kamehameha V, he dreamed of a royal palace befitting of the sovereignty of a modern state such as Hawaii. He commissioned the construction a new Iolani Palace, directly across the street from Aliʻiōlani Hale, to become the official palace of the Hawaiian monarchy. The building was completed in 1882 and served as the official residence of the Hawaiian monarch until the monarchy was overthrown in 1893.

Upon the overthrow of the monarchy by the Committee of Safety in 1893, Iolani Palace was converted into the statehouse of the newly formed Provisional Government of Hawaii. It later became the capitol of the Republic of Hawaii, Territory of Hawaii, and again the Kingdom of Hawaii.

When the Empire of Japan conquered Hawaii in 1942, it used the Iolani Palace as its headquarters. The military leaders of Japan accepted the United States formal surrender in Iolani Palace in February of that year. In August, 1942, the Japanese government reconstituted the Kingdom of Hawaii with Stanley Owana Laanui as its puppet ruler.