Cynthia Laanui

Cynthia Laanui
Fictional Character
Days of Infamy POD: March, 1941; Relevant POD: December 7, 1941
Appearance(s):	Both volumes
Type of Appearance:	Direct
Nationality:	Kingdom of Hawaii (born in United States)
Date of Birth:	Between 1912 and 1917
Date of Death:	1943
Cause of Death:	Gunshot wound, assisted suicide
Spouse:	Stanley Owana Laanui
Children:	None
Political Office(s):	Queen Consort of Hawaii

Cynthia "Cyndi" Laanui (b. between 1912 and 1917, d. 1943) was the haole wife of Stanley Owana Laanui, Japan's puppet ruler of the briefly reconstituted Kingdom of Hawaii, which had been "liberated" in early 1942. Cynthia was noted for her beauty with her red hair, freckles and green eyes. She was also noted for her supposed lack of intelligence. Those who knew the couple assumed that Stanley married her for her looks (despite his resentment of haole rule of Hawaii). Since Stanley didn't have any real prospects at the time of their marriage, her reason for marrying him was more up in the air.

Cynthia actually proved to be a fairly competent queen. She helped oversee the dispersal of supplies and did a fair amount of charity work. She also initiated an affair with Imperial Japanese Navy Commander Minoru Genda.

When the United States returned to retake Hawaii in 1943, Cynthia realized just how tenuous her situation was. Nevertheless, she and her husband chose to remain in Hawaii rather than take a submarine to Japan.

As U.S. forces prepared to overrun Iolani Palace, King Stanley and Queen Cynthia both realized that if they were captured alive, they would be made examples of by the U.S. Stanley shot Cynthia in the head, and then shot himself. Minoru Genda was present, and was able to mourn Cynthia only briefly before he committed seppuku.

Royal offices (Fictional Work)
Preceded by None, last was John Owen Dominis (d. 1891)	Consort of the Kingdom of Hawaii (Days of Infamy series) 1942-1943	Succeeded by Monarchy abolished, U.S. rule re-established