Less than 25 years after the overthrow of the monarchy, Hawaii honored Queen Lili‘uokalani with a state funeral that accorded her “all the impressive honors that would have been hers had she when she died been ruler of Hawaii,” the Hawaiian Gazette noted.  An editorial writer for the same paper wrote that her funeral was the “strangest ceremony ever to be held, for it was not only a Hawaiian queen, but an American Queen.”

Presenter Ralph Thomas Kam, Ph.D will give a detailed description of the ceremony, including Queen Lili‘uokalani’s lying in state, funeral, procession, burial, and will include a chance to hear the music played at the ceremony. The program will be held in the reading room on the first floor of the library.

Program schedule is subject to change.  Contact the library 10 days in advance to request a sign language interpreter or if special accommodations are needed.