Abigail Kawānanakoa walked in two worlds: considered by some to be the last scion of the Hawaiian royal family, and by others as someone awash in Western wealth. For Kawānanakoa’s part, she had a passion for the Native Hawaiian culture she hailed from, and following a contentious fight for her estate, that passion will support preserving the culture and language she loved. Kawānanakoa, a descended of the final independent ruler of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau; granddaughter of Prince David Kawānanakoa, the hānai adopted son of King Kalākaua; and great-granddaughter of a sugar baron, died last year at the age of 96.
The late Abigail Kawānanakoa was the great-granddaughter of Irish businessman James Campbell, who became one of the largest landowners in 19th-century Hawaii. Kawānanakoa, who died in December 2022, has left more than $100 million to native Hawaiian causes.
Iolani Palace in HawaiiPhoto byIolani Palace, Hawaii, Photo D Ramey Logan.JPG from Wikimedia Commons by D Ramey Logan, CC-BY-SA-3.0 Hawaii's last royal princess died on Sunday, December 11, 2022.