Royal House of Hawai'i

The Constitution of 1887, composed by King David Kalākaua served as supreme law at the time of the imposed overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawai'i in 1893. Article 22 of the Constitution outlined the royal succession:

"Pauku 22. E ho'omau loa ia ka Laiali'i no ka Mo'i Kalākaua a me na ho'olina aku o kona kino i hapai ia malalo o ke Kanawai, a i ka lakou mau mamo aku ma ke Kanawai ma ka lalai pololei; a i nele ia, e ili aku ka Leiali'i i ke Kama Ali'i Wahine Lili'uokalani, a me na ho'olina aku o kona kino i hapai ia malalo o ke Kanawai a i ka lakou mamo aku ma ke Kanawai ma ka lalani pololei. E ili aku i ke keiki kane hanau mua a me na ho'olina aku o kona kino, a i nele i ke keiki kane ole, alaila i ke kaikamahine hanau mua a me na ho'olina aku o kona kino, a i nele loa i ka ho'olina ole e like me ka olelo maluna iho, alaila e ili aku ka Leiali'i i ka mea i koho ia e ka Mo'i me ka ae ana o na 'Li'i a i ho'olina ia hoi oiai e ola ana ka Mo'i; aka, ina a'ole i kohoia a i ho'olaha ia pela a ua hakahaka koke aku e halawai ka Ahaolelo, a na ia Ahaolelo e koho ma ka balota i kekahi Ali'i hanau o ka aina i Ali'i e noho ma ka nohoali'i, a mamuli o ia ho'onoho ia ana e ho'omaka ai he Ohana Mo'i hou a e pili iaia a me kona mau mamo aku ke Kanawai e kau nei no ka ili ana aku o ka Leiali'i o ka Ohana Mo'i o Hawai'i nei."

Translated in English, Article 22 reads:

"The Crown is hereby permanently conferred to His Majesty King Kalākaua, and the Heirs of His body lawfully begotten, and to their lawful Descendants in a direct line; failing whom, the Crown shall descend to Her Royal Highness the Princess Lili'uokalani, and the heirs of her body, lawfully begotten, and their lawful descendants in a direct line. The Succession shall be to the senior male child, and to the heirs of his body; failing a male child, the succession, shall be to the senior female child, and to the heirs of her body. In case there is no heir as above provided, the Successors shall be the person whom the Sovereign shall appoint with the consent of the Nobles, and publicly proclaim during the Sovereign's life; but should there be no such appointed and proclamation, and the Throne should become vacant, then the Cabinet, immediately after the occuring of such vacancy, shall cause a meeting of the Legislature, who shall elect by ballot some native Ali'i of the Kingdom as Succesor to the Throne; and the Successor so elected shall become a new Stirps for the Royal Family; and the Succession from the Sovereign thus elected, shall be regulated by the same law as the present Royal Family of Hawai'i." 

Following constitutional procedure, the Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawai'i would have assembled to elect a Successor by ballot, since Queen Lili'uokalani had no children. However, given the fact that the official Legislature of Hawai'i was never re-convened due to the dissolution of the Kingdom of Hawai'i, Queen Lili'uokalani was the last Royal Stirps (basis of a family branch) per Article 22 of the 1887 Constitution. Thus, contemporary Royal succession claims must be based on genealogical bloodline proximity to Queen Lili'uokalani, and to her brother, King David Kalākaua, the last sovereign king of the Kingdom of Hawai'i (and not the last ruling Consort sovereign).

Na keiki ali'i (the royal and/or ali'i children) of ke ali'i Robert Hoapili Baker III are the third cousins, three descending generations removed, to Queen Lydia Lili'uokalani.

The surviving Senior Heir of the Royal and Ali'i Hoapili Baker 'Ohana at the time of the first public mention of claims to the fons honorom in 2018 on behalf of the Hoapili Baker family name and legacy who has authoritative seniority to legitimize and represent the Royal Hoapili Baker 'Ohana and legacy was and is ke ali'i George I’i Baker (H.R.H. Prince George I'i), due to his status as the eldest surviving kupuna (grandparent, or ancestor) of the generation of na keiki ali'i (children) of ke ali'i Robert Hoapili Baker III. 

After a period of internal restructuring and reorganizing, ke ali'i George Ī'ī, the Senior Heir of the Hoapili Baker family, has appointed his eldest blood-related grandchild, ke ali'i Idony Punahele Hoapili Albert (H.R.H. Princess Idony Punahele Hoapili), to serve as the appointed Head of the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Hoapili Baker (the Royal House of Hoapili Baker) representing the Royal Hoapili Baker Family internationally and in Hawai'i, effective January 10th, 2022. His daughter, ke ali'i Georgette Pua'ala Baker Luppino (H.R.H. Princess Georgette Pua'ala), also serves as a family representative in the United States from Hawai'i as the C.E.O. and Chairwoman of The Hoapili Baker Foundation.

There are many countries and territories which are no longer governed by a Constitutional Monarchy, however, the Royal living descendants or closest blood relations to the last sovereign dynasty of a previously monarchic country are still internationally recognized as being legitimate Royal Heirs in their country or territory in the event of a monarchy ever being reinstated to govern––hence the reason why there is still an acknowledged, legitimate Royal House in existence in such countries or territories. The descendents of the ali'i families related by blood or by legal adoption to the Kalākaua Dynasty are still acknowledged as legitimately Royal in reference to a contemporary Royal House of Hawai'i.

The living ali'i descendants who are closest blood relations to King Kalākaua and his sister Queen Lili'uokalani, including the living descendants of ali'i who were adopted legally into the Kalākaua Dynasty, are recognized as the primary legitimate Heir candidates to unified island leadership. H.R.H. Princess Victoria Ka'iulani is correctly referred to as the last Crown Heir because the throne of the Kingdom of Hawai'i was still active during her lifetime before the illegal Amercian annexation of the Kingdom. The term of "Crown Prince" or "Crown Princess" is inapplicable to the current State of Hawai'i, because there is no active throne of Hawai'i.

In the event of monarchy ever being reinstated to a Constitutional monarchic government in Hawai'i, only then would the Head of the House of the Royal Family closest in blood relation to the last ruling sovereign of the Kingdom of Hawai'i (and not the last ruling Consort sovereign) would have the right to be called a "Crown Prince" or "Crown Princess" to the newly active throne in Hawai'i. Thus, the inapt term of "Crown Prince" or "Crown Princess" is not used in contemporary Hawai'i and is not used by the principal and legitimate representative Royal branch of the surviving Hoapili Baker 'Ohana.  

The Royal and Ali'i Hoapili Baker 'Ohana of the legitimate representative branch of H.R.H. George Ī'i Baker will continue to actively preserve the legacy and the authenticity of the Hoapili Baker Family's royal and ali'i name, as well as that of the Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Hoapili Baker (the Royal House of Hoapili Baker), by maintaining its traditions and culture in a pono manner, and promoting the progressive vision of King David Kalākaua.

The Royal and Ali'i Hoapili Baker 'Ohana focuses on striving to promote education, economic development for Hawaiians, science, ocean preservation, history, as well as Hawaiian and international cultural art forms in Hawai’i, and principally, advanced education abroad, through the family’s philanthropic arm, The Hoapili Baker Foundation. The Royal House of Hawai'i – Ka Hale Ali'i O Hoapili Baker respects the beliefs and customs of Native Hawaiians, while endeavoring, in this modern age, to pursue progressive technological science and advanced educational opportunities for the keiki (youth) of the next generation.

Ke ali'i Prince George I'i Baker is the twelfth of fifteen siblings born in Hilo, on the island of Hawai'i, to ke ali'i Robert Hoapili Baker III and ke ali'i Bernicia Ka'iliponi Lane, on September 11th, 1936. Ke ali'i George I'i was raised between Honoka'a on the island of Hawai'i and Honolulu on the island of Oahu.

An Act to Perpetuate the Genealogy of the

Chiefs of Hawai'i

This article is about the preservation of an archive of the descendants of high-ranking ali'i blood, initiated by an Act legislated in 1880 by the Hawaiian Legislature. The descendants inherently belong to the Estate of Nobles (Chiefs) and are eligible to be appointed as Nobles in the Legislative Assembly and are also eligible to be elected to the Throne in accordance with Hawaiian Law. The King approved and signed this Act in 1880.

King Kalākaua wanted a "Board of Genealogy of Hawaiian Chiefs" to record the genealogies of those that were of high ranking blood and could be considered in the event that someone had to be named an heir to the throne of Hawaii. The names mentioned are all the lineages that were eligible for either role according to law.

On August 9, 1880, the Hawaiian Legislature effectuated An Act to Perpetuate the Genealogy of the Chiefs of Hawaii

" AN ACT

To Perpetuate the Genealogy of the Chiefs of Hawaii

WHEREAS, it is provided by the 22d Article of the constitution that the kings of Hawaii shall be chosen from native chiefs of the kingdom; AND WHEREAS, at the present day it is difficult to ascertain the chiefs, as contemplated by said Article of the constitution, and it is proper that such genealogies of the kingdom be perpetuated, and also the history of the chiefs and kings from ancient times down to the present day, which would also be a guide to the King in the appointment of Nobles in the Legislative Assembly, therefore,

Be it enacted by the King and the Legislative Assembly of the Hawaiian Islands, in the Legislature of the Kingdom Assembled:

Section 1. His Majesty the King in Cabinet Council shall appoint some proper person or persons to collect from genealogical books, and from the knowledge of old people the history and genealogy of the Hawaiian chiefs, and shall publish a book of the doings of such Board, which shall be called "The Board of Genealogy of Hawaiian Chiefs," during such time as it may be in session.

Section 2. The Minister of Interior is hereby authorized to pay the members of said Board at a rate not exceeding two dollars per day, and for all the other expenses of the said Board, not exceeding two thousand dollars, which sum shall include the purchase of books, travelling expenses, paper, pens, ink, books and so forth, for searching for ancient things which have been lost or concealed in places of concealment, and for ascertaining the places of sepulture of the ancient chiefs, where their bones are now concealed; which sum shall be paid out of any monies not otherwise appropriated by the Appropriation Bill.

Section 3. Said Board may make such rules and regulations as may be necessary for them and for their work, and shall submit the name to His Majesty the King in Cabinet Council before commencing their duties.

Section 4. This act shall become a law from the use of its approval.

Approved this 9th day of August, A.D. 1880

KALĀKAUA  R."

According to the Rules of the Board, the principle duties of the Board members were:

"1. To gather, revise, correct and record the Genealogy of Chiefs.

2. To gather, revise correct and record all published and unpublished Ancient Hawaiian History.

3. To gather, revise, correct and record all published and unpublished Meles (Songs), and also to ascertain the object and the spirit of the Meles, the age and History of the period when composed and to note the same on the Record Book.

4. To record all the tabu customs of the Mo'īs (Kings) and Chiefs."

In its report of 1884, the Board stated it was examining some copies of genealogical books by Kamokuiki, Hao'o, Kanahi, Unauna, Hakaleleponi, Pi'ianaia, Kalaualu and David Malo, and that the "Board has not entered into revision of these books and those written by historians as the time has been taken up mostly in attesting the genealogy of those that have applied to have their genealogy established."

The Board also reported, that it "has avoided entering into controversies with the genealogical discussions that have been going on for a year or more in the local Hawaiian newspapers, as these discussions have been more or less conducted in a partisan spirit instead of on scientific principles. They loose the merit of usefulness by the hostilities assumed by the contending writers."

On July 5, 1887, the newly appointed Cabinet Council and two members of the Supreme Court committed the high crime of treason by coercing King Kalakaua to sign a new constitution under threat of assassination. This so-called constitution came to be known as the Bayonet Constitution and was never submitted to the Legislative Assembly for approval, which is required under law. Hawaiian constitutional law provides that any proposed change to the constitution must be submitted to the Legislative Assembly, and upon majority agreement, would be deferred to the next legislative session for action. Once the next legislature convened, and the proposed amendment or amendments were "agreed to by two-thirds of all members of the Legislative Assembly, and be approved by the King, such amendment or amendments shall become part of the Constitution of this country (Article 80, 1864 Constitution)."

The so-called constitution was drafted by a select group of twenty individuals and effectively placed control of the Legislature and Cabinet in the hands of individuals who held foreign allegiances, which led to the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian government by the United States of America. The leader of this insurgency, Lorrin Thurston, was the Minister of the Interior, and he refused to fund the Board of genealogists as required by law.

In a letter to her Royal Highness Princess Po'omaikelani, President of the Genealogical Board, dated July 29, 1887, Thurston writes, "I beg to acknowledge receipt of your communication of the 27th inst. in which you state the labors of the board need not be suspended because the appropriation cannot be paid. There can, of course be no objection to a continuation of the work by the Board of Genealogy so long as it is carried out without expense to the Government."

Despite the lack of government funding and the illegal overthrow of the government of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the Board of Genealogy continued its work to complete the genealogies of Mo'okua'auhau Ali'i (Hawaiian Chiefs) that were eventually published in the Ka Maka'ainana newspaper in the year 1896.

The article stated that on August 3 of 1896, the Genealogies of Robert Hoapili Baker was published.

Any individual today who is a direct descendant of the Hawaiian Chiefs identified in these published genealogies belong to the Estate of Nobles (Chiefs), and are eligible to be appointed as Nobles in the Legislative Assembly. In the case of an election were the Hawaiian Islands to again become a nation with a sovereign monarchy, these direct descendants are eligible candidates to the Throne in accordance with Hawaiian law.