Affectionately known as “The People’s Queen,” Queen Emma Kalanikaumaka‘amano Kaleleonālani Na‘ea Rooke was born on January 2, 1836, to High Chief George Na‘ea and High Chiefess Fanny Kekelaokalani Young. As was the custom of the time, Emma was adopted under the Hawaiian tradition of hānai (an informal but traditional adoption in which a child is raised by relatives or close family friends) by her mother’s sister, Chiefess Grace Kama‘iku‘i Young Rooke, and her husband, Dr. Thomas C. B. Rooke.

Through her biological parents’ genealogies, Emma held the exalted role of ali‘i (Hawaiian nobility). Her father was the son of High Chief Kamaunu and High Chiefess Kukaeleiki, who was said to be related to Queen Keōpūolani, the most sacred wife of Kamehameha I. Her mother was the granddaughter of John Young, a British-born military advisor to Kamehameha I. Because of her high-ranking status, Emma was educated at the Chiefs’ Children’s School, founded by King Kamehameha III to educate the children of Hawaiian royalty. There, Emma met her future husband, Alexander Liholiho, the grandson of Kamehameha I and the future King of Hawai‘i.

In school, Emma excelled in her studies and was recognized as a bright student, skilled in playing the piano, singing, dancing, gardening, and horseback riding. After the school’s closure, her hānai father hired Sarah Rhodes von Pfister, an English governess, to tutor Emma and encouraged her to read through the family’s extensive library. As she matured, Emma became known for her intelligence and beauty, standing only 5’2” with dark hair, fair skin, and a waist measuring 19 inches.

In 1854, at age 18, Emma’s engagement to Alexander Liholiho, now King Kamehameha IV, was announced. Despite the couple’s happiness, some opposed the marriage because of the bride’s mixed-race heritage. At an engagement party, someone accused the young bride-to-be of being unfit to wed the King of Hawai‘i because of her Caucasian blood inherited from her great-grandfather. Emma fled the party in tears, leaving Kamehameha IV enraged.

Despite murmurs of discontent, the couple married two years after their engagement on June 19, 1856. The wedding celebrations electrified the kingdom, with over 3,000 people lining King Street to witness the young couple's arrival. Cannons roared as the king’s carriage left the royal palace, ultimately linking with the bride’s carriage. Along the procession route, soldiers prostrated themselves until their foreheads nearly touched the ground. Those in attendance noted that the bride looked like a vision of elegance, bedecked in a robe of white silk, a veil gifted from Queen Victoria of England, and sparkling diamonds. Nations around the globe hosted celebrations, and the people of Hawai‘i placed great hope in the union of Kamehameha IV and Emma, seeing their leadership as a beacon of stability and renewal for the kingdom’s future.

The marriage of Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV was known to be a happy one, as the two fell in love during their youth at school and shared many interests, including opera, literature, and the theater. In the early years of their marriage, the young queen tended to palace affairs, expanded the palace library—and, inspired by her hānai father’s work in medicine—urged her husband to consider establishing a hospital to help the Native Hawaiians, whose population was dwindling due to foreign diseases.

Two years into their marriage, the couple welcomed a son, Prince Albert Edward Kauikeaouli Kaleiopapa a Kamehameha, born on May 20, 1858. The infant brought immense joy to the Hawaiian people, who held celebrations for days in honor of his birth. The baby grew into a bright, happy toddler with a markedly serene personality. However, everything changed in August 1862 when the four-year-old prince became ill and restless. For days, the king and queen did not leave his bedside, calling upon the best doctors to care for their precious child.

As his condition rapidly declined, Queen Emma personally requested that Queen Victoria send a bishop from the Anglican Church to baptize her son. Queen Victoria, who had already agreed to be his godmother, sent an elaborate christening cup as a baptismal gift. Unfortunately, the bishop did not arrive in time, and on August 27, the prince passed away from what newspapers of the time called “brain fever.”

Following the death of Prince Albert, Queen Emma took the name Kaleleokalani, meaning “the flight of the heavenly one.” As the kingdom mourned, the king fell into a deep depression, feeling responsible for his son’s death and even contemplating abdicating the throne. He blamed himself for punishing the toddler with a cold bath when the prince had wanted something he was not allowed to have just days before the prince fell ill. In the months that followed, the king’s health steadily declined, and on November 30, 1863—just 15 months after the death of Prince Albert—Kamehameha IV passed away at the age of 29.

Now mourning not just her child but also her beloved husband, Queen Emma altered her name once more, this time to Kaleleonālani, meaning “the flight of the heavenly ones.” (The kahakō, which is a macron over the “o,” signified the shift from singular to plural, reflecting her grief for both her son and husband.)

Following the king’s passing, the caskets of both Prince Albert and Kamehameha IV were brought to Mauna ‘Ala, the newly completed royal mausoleum in Nu‘uanu — a resting place the king himself had commissioned. Overcome with sorrow, Queen Emma could not bear to leave their caskets. She camped on the mausoleum grounds and even slept nearby at times, refusing to part from them. When she was finally able to step away, she sought solace at her Summer Palace, Hānaiakamalama, where she could see Mauna ‘Ala from her bedroom window — a constant, painful reminder of the loved ones she had lost.

Seven years after their deaths, melancholy still surrounded the former queen, so she ventured to the island of Kaua‘i in an attempt to heal her broken heart. The island held a special place in Queen Emma's heart because of the fond memories she made during a trip with her late husband in 1856. Retreating from court life and the bustle of the city, she moved into Mauna Kilohana, a small cottage, in the ahupua‘a (Hawaiian land division) of Lāwa‘i in December 1870.

As the serenity of the island seeped into her soul, Queen Emma returned to her favored pastimes, including horseback riding and gardening. She wrote letters to her family on O‘ahu, requesting that they send plants via ships between the islands. She planted banana trees, sugarcane, kalo (taro), mango, bamboo, and magenta bougainvillea around Mauna Kilohana, brightening both her surroundings and her spirits. Newspapers of the time expressed sympathy for the former queen and highlighted the importance of her physical and emotional retreat, with the hope that she would eventually reengage in court life.

In January 1871, Queen Emma and her entourage embarked on a famed horseback journey to Kōke‘e, hoping to reach Kilohana Lookout from the Alaka‘i Swamp. Her party of dancers, poets, friends, and retainers numbered 100, forming a procession that stretched nearly half a mile. Upon reaching Kōke‘e, they dismounted and continued on foot, but the muddy trail proved too difficult to traverse. The queen and her entourage camped in the Alaka‘i Swamp for the night, passing the time with mele (song) and hula. The following morning, they resumed their journey, finally reaching the lookout, where they were rewarded with a breathtaking view of the island.

During her months on Kaua‘i, the queen spent time reflecting, praying, and regaining her strength. Feeling ready to return to court life, she departed the island on April 25, 1871, boarding the steamer Pauahi bound for Honolulu.

In the years that followed, Queen Emma resumed her role as a humanitarian and advocate for the people of Hawai'i. She even ran for the Hawaiian throne in 1874 following the death of King Lunalilo, who had not named a successor. In the election against David Kalākaua, Queen Emma earned widespread support among Native Hawaiians — not only because her husband had been a member of the Kamehameha Dynasty but also because she was a closer descendant of Kamehameha I than her opponent. Despite her popularity, the Legislative Assembly, which held the power to elect the monarch, chose Kalākaua in a 39–6 vote. Riots erupted in Honolulu in protest, but Queen Emma accepted the outcome with grace and peacefully retired from public life.

In 1883, Queen Emma suffered the first of several small strokes, and she passed away on April 25, 1885, at the age of 49. After a royal procession, she was interred at Mauna ‘Ala alongside her husband and son.

Mauna Kilohana, the cottage where Queen Emma found solace, still stands in the ahupua‘a of Lāwa‘i. In the early 1900s, when sugarcane cultivation threatened to displace it from its original location, Alexander McBryde took great care to preserve the structure. He had the frame house carefully cut into sections and lowered each portion over the pali (cliff) before reassembling it on the valley floor, where it remains today.

Now under the stewardship of the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG), the cottage and its surrounding landscape are lovingly maintained. Each year, on January 2nd, events are held in honor of Queen Emma’s birthday, celebrating her legacy and deep connection to Kaua‘i. Visitors to NTBG’s Allerton Garden can experience the queen’s enduring love for the island through its thoughtfully curated landscapes and see the historic cottage nestled within the property.

Allerton Garden offers a variety of ways to explore its breathtaking scenery, from guided garden tours and sunset viewings to a dinner tour. Access to Allerton Garden is available exclusively through guided tours, which require reservations. Tours typically last about 2.5 hours and are currently available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., and 1:30 p.m. The Allerton by Fire tour offers a unique dinner experience in the beautiful garden, featuring live Polynesian dancing, music, and a fire knife performance, available on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3:30 pm. 

Queen Emmaʻs sojourn to Kauaʻi was a journey of healing and reflection, and visitors can experience the same serenity by exploring the lush beauty of Allerton Gardens. For the most up-to-date information on tours and reservations, please contact the garden directly or visit its website.

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Allerton Garden; 4425 Lāwa‘i Road, Kōloa, HI 96756; (808) 742-2623; ntbg.org/gardens/allerton