Three months after the death of Elizabeth II, the only American royal family has lost its last member.
Hawaiian Princess Abigail Kawananakoa has died aged 96, the Iolani Palace, the historic home of the sovereigns, announced on Monday (December 12th).
She was identified as the last of the royal line of the Pacific Archipelago, the "last
ali'i
" - the Hawaiian word for "member of the royal family".
If no cause of death has been advanced, the
Hawaii News Now
site clarified that the elderly princess was struggling with fragile health.
"Hawaii mourns the loss of Her Royal Highness Princess Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawananakoa, who passed away peacefully last night at her home in Nu'uanu, with her wife Veronica Gail Kawananakoa by her side," it read.
“Abigail will be remembered for her love of Hawaii and its people.
(…) I will miss her with all my heart”, shared his wife since 2017, quoted by the press release.
She leaves forever a devoted legacy to her people.
Josh Green, Governor of Hawaii
Hawaii Governor Josh Green ordered the flags to be flown at half-mast until Sunday evening.
"Jamie [
his wife, editor's note
] and I are deeply saddened by the loss of Princess Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawananakoa," he said.
"Abigail bore the weight of her position with dignity and humility, enriched the lives of all she touched, and like so many ali'i who came
before
her, she forever leaves a devoted legacy to his people."
In video, who are the young heirs to the European thrones?
Adopted by her grandmother
Abigail Kawananakoa was the great-granddaughter of James Campbel, an Irish businessman who made his fortune from Hawaiian sugar plantations.
The latter, one of the largest landowners on the island, married Abigail Kuaihelani Maipinepine Bright and gave birth to a daughter, also named Abigail, who became the wife of Prince David Kawananakoa, heir to the throne.
From this union was born Lydia Liliuokalani Kawananakoa, the mother of Abigail Kawananakoa.
Rather surprisingly, at the age of six, Abigail Kawananakoa was adopted by her grandmother, as allowed by the Hawaiian tradition of
hanai
, with the intention that she would remain the direct heiress in the event of an eventual restoration of the kingdom. .
The princess may not have had an official title, but her ancestors ruled Hawaii until they were overthrown by settlers in the late 19th century.
Prior to this event, the Hawaiian archipelago had been unified into a single kingdom in the early 19th century under the Kamehameha dynasty.
It then traded independently with other nations until its annexation and occupation in 1898 by the United States, before becoming the 50th American state in 1959.
A coveted fortune
Abigail Kawananakoa had, in recent years, hit the headlines.
In question: his colossal fortune that disputed his long-time companion Veronica Gail Worth, 24 years his junior.
The one who shared her life for twenty years wanted, in fact, to help the princess regain control of her heritage, the management of which – controversial – was managed by her legal adviser Jim Wright after her stroke in 2017. For this reason, Veronica Gail Worth had ended up marrying Abigail Kawananakoa, believing that her money would go to him.
In vain.
In video, Marta Ortega, the flamboyant 38-year-old heiress who now leads the Zara empire
