House of Laanui

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The House of Laanui, or Hale O Keoua Nui (House of Keoua-Nui), or the Kalokuokamaile Dynasty, is the collateral heirs to the throne of the now defunct Kingdom of Hawaiʻi through the House of Kamehameha.

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[edit] Origins

A collateral branch of the reigning House of Kamehameha (from island of Hawaii) and descendants of e.g chiefs of Kona (seat at Kailua), the dynastic line was established by Prince Kalokuokamaile who was the eldest half-brother of King Kamehameha the Great. He was the son of High Chief Keoua Kalanikupuapaikalaninui and High Chieftess Kahikikala-o-kalani.[1]

Kalokuokamaile 's paternal ancestry comes from a branch of the Hawaiʻi alii aimoku family. His paternal grandfather was the High Chief Keeaumoku-nui, second son of Keaweikekahialiiokamoku, King of Hawaii and his half-sister Kalanikauleleiaiwi. He was a pio chief and of the highest rank. This makes the Laanuis the closest surviving collateral relatives of the Kamehameha reigning house. His paternal grandmother was High Chieftess Kamaka'imoku, daughter of Alii Ku'a Nu'uanu, Oahu chief descended from the Chiefs of Hilo who were the descendant of King Umi's youngest son Kumalae, first Alii of Hilo. This maternal grandmother was also mother of Kalaniopuu, making him cousin to the last Ali'i Aimoku of Hawaii Kiwalao, and the half-sister of Heulu the father of Keawe-a-Heulu ancestor of Liliuokalani.

The ancestry of Kalokuokamaile’s mother High Chiefess Kahikikala-o-kalani was of the Royal House of Maui. His mother was daughter of High Chief Kalahumoku, Titular chieftain of Hāna and Kipahulu, by his wife, High Chieftess Kalani Kaumehameha. On her father side she descended from Lono-Honua-Kini, King of Maui, through his youngest daughter the Princess Kuhala of Maui.

Being descendants of a brother of Kamehameha, the Laanuis are closest of the surviving relatives of the Kamehameha dynasty even if their relation toward the Kalakauas are very distant. All four dynasty; Kamehameha, Kawananakoa, Kalakaua and the Laanui traced a common root back to Keaweikekahialiiokamoku the king of Hawaii.

[edit] Head of the Family

[edit] Other Important Claims

The Laanui are the closest descendant of Princess Elizabeth Kekaaniau, an alumni to the Chiefs' Children's School. Although Princess Elizabeth was childless she adopted her niece Theresa Owana Laanui as her heir. The Kawananakoa are cousins to the Prince James Kaliokalani, Prince David Kalakaua, and Princess Lydia Liliuokalani classmates of Elizabeth. They are not as closed as the niece and aunt relation. Each of the 15 alii children were declared eligible to succeed to the Hawaiian throne by the royal order of King Kamehameha III with approval of the House of Nobles.

Theresa married Alexander Cartwright III and they had descendants. Through Theresa second marriage with Honorable Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox, a noted Hawaiian patriot and First Delegate to Congress, who tried to Overthrow the Bayonet Constitution and Republic of Hawaii, the Laanui can trace their lineage to the royal line of Lonomakaihonua, brother of Kaulahea II, King of Maui.

The House of Laanui survives today and is second most powerful claimants to the Hawaiian throne next to the House of Kawananakoa. Members of the family claimed the titles of prince and princess, as a matter of tradition and respect of their status as aliʻi or chiefs of the native Hawaiians, being lines of ancient ancestry.

[edit] Citations

  1. ^ Pratt, Elizabeth K. (March 27, 2000). Keoua : Father of Kings . Ke Ali'i Pub.

[edit] External Links