KAMEHAMEHA II

(Redirected from Liholiho)

'Kamehameha II, King of Hawaii' (1797 - 1824) was the second king of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i. Born 'Liholiho' in Hilo, Hawai‘i, the eldest son of Kamehameha I and his highest-ranking wife Queen Keopuolani, he was groomed to be heir to the throne from age five.
Liholiho succeeded to the throne upon Kamehameha I's death in May 1819, but among other conditions, he was forced to take on merely a ceremonial role; administrative power was to be vested in Ka‘ahumanu, his father's favorite wife, who was given the title of kuhina nui, the rough equivalent of a prime minister.
Kamehameha II is best remembered for breaking the ancient ''kapu'' (taboo) system of religious laws six months into his reign. It was also during his reign that the first Christian missionaries arrived in the Hawaiian Islands.
In November 1823 Kamehameha II and his queen, Kamamalu, traveled to London seeking to complete negotiations for an alliance between Hawaii and Great Britain. However, before he could meet with King George IV, he and his queen caught measles, to which they had no immunity. Kamehameha II died on July 14, 1824. He was succeeded by his younger brother, Kauikeaouli, who became Kamehameha III.