Royal Order of Kapiolani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Royal Order of Kapiʻolani(Kapiʻolani e Hookanaka) |
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Commander badge of the order.
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| Awarded by Kalākaua of Hawaii | |
| Type | Chivalric order in six classes |
| Established | August 39, 1880 |
| Motto | "KULIA I KANUU" |
| Status | Obsolete |
| Grades | Grand Cross High Grand Officer Grand Officer Commander Officer Companion (Knight) Medal of Honor |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Royal Order of Kalākaua |
| Next (lower) | Royal Order of the Crown of Hawaii |
 Grand Cross ribbon |
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The Royal Order of Kapiʻolani (Kapiʻolani e Hoʻokanaka) was a special award created by King Kalākaua of Hawaiʻi. He started it on August 30, 1880. This award was given to people who did great things for humanity, showed skill in science and art, or provided special help to the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi.
King Kalākaua named the Order after his ancestor, High Chiefess Kapiʻolani the Great. She was an important leader who helped bring Christianity to the Hawaiian Islands. The Order also honored his wife, Queen Kapiʻolani, who was named after the first Kapiʻolani.
During King Kalākaua's time, this Order was given out 177 times. His sister, Queen Liliʻuokalani, gave it out three more times after him. The very last time the Order was awarded was on June 2, 1892. In 1893, the Order stopped being given out.
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What Were the Ranks of the Order?
The Royal Order of Kapiʻolani had different levels, called "grades." Only a certain number of people could hold each rank at one time. This made the awards very special!
- Grand Cross – Only 12 people could have this highest rank.
- High Grand Officer – Limited to 15 people.
- Grand Officer – Up to 20 people could hold this rank.
- Commander – There could be 30 Commanders.
- Officer – This rank was for 50 people.
- Companion (Knight) – Up to 60 people could be Companions.
- Medal of Honor – There was no limit to how many people could receive this medal. It came in two types: a silver medal (1st-degree) and a bronze medal (2nd-degree).
What Did the Awards Look Like?
Each rank of the Order had special items, called "insignia," that recipients would wear. These items showed their rank.
Grand Cross Insignia
The Grand Cross award included a badge, a breast star, and a grand cordon (a wide ribbon).
The badge was a red cross with four arms, made of gold. It had a gold Hawaiian crown on top. Between the arms of the cross were more small gold Hawaiian crowns. In the middle of the badge was a red and white circle. It had a gold "double-K" design, which stood for King Kalākaua. Around this design, a white band read "KULIA I KANUU," which means "Strive to Reach the Summit." There was also a tiny gold locket with a picture of Queen Kapiʻolani. On the back, it just said "KULIA."
The star for the Grand Cross was a shiny silver star with eight points. The badge (without the crown on top) was placed on this star.
The grand cordon was a yellow ribbon with thin stripes of white, red, and dark blue on its edges. These colors are the colors of the Hawaiian flag. The badge was attached to this ribbon and worn across the body.
High Grand Officer Insignia
High Grand Officers wore almost the same awards as the Grand Cross. The main difference was that their badge was worn on a neck ribbon, not a sash. This ribbon had alternating yellow and red stripes.
Grand Officer Insignia
Grand Officers only wore the breast star.
Commander Insignia
The Commander's award looked a lot like the Grand Cross. However, a Commander only wore the sash. Also, on their badge, the crowns between the arms of the cross were silver, not gold.
Officer and Companion Insignia
The Officer and Companion awards used a badge similar to the Commander's, but it was much smaller. These awards were worn on the chest, hanging from a ribbon with alternating yellow and red stripes. The Officer's ribbon also had a small rosette (a flower-shaped decoration) on it.
Medals of Honor Insignia
The Medals of Honor looked a bit like the Companion cross. But they did not have the crowns between the arms of the cross or the crown on top of the cross. The 1st-degree medal was made of silver, and the 2nd-degree medal was made of bronze.
Who Received This Award?
Many people received the Royal Order of Kapiʻolani for their important work.
One of the first people to receive the Order was Auguste Jean Baptiste Marques. He became a Commander in 1880.
Dr. Charles M. Newell, a writer from Boston, wrote several romantic stories about the Hawaiian Islands in the late 1800s. His books included Kalani of Oahu (1881) and Kamehameha the Conquering King (1885). He is believed to have received the Companion award in 1885.
Queen Natalie of Serbia received the Grand Cross on June 28, 1883.
Saint Marianne of Molokaʻi (born Maria Anna Barbara Koob) was given the Companion award on November 9, 1885. She received it for her amazing work in Hawaiian hospitals and at the Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) settlement in Kalaupapa.
Dr. Eduard Arning, a British-German scientist who studied bacteria, received the Companion award in 1886. He was recognized for his research on Hansen's Disease.
