House of Laanui

The House of Laanui "(Hale O Laokinaanui)" is the collateral heirs to the throne of the now defunct Kingdom of Hawaiokinai through the House of Kamehameha, both houses being branches of the House of Keoua Nui. The term "Royal House" was only introduced into Hawaii in the late 18th century or early 19th century. The line of Kalokuokamaile stopped after the marriage of Princess Kaohelelani to Nuhi. After this the line continues as the House of Laanui, deriving from the name of the son of Nuhi and Kaohelelani, rather than House of Nuhi. Theresa Owana Laanui was the last of the real Laanui's. The current descendants are of Wilcox line of English and Italian descent after Theresa's marriage to Robert William Wilcox.

Hawaiian royal houses, unlike European royal houses, still continue, after the extinction of the male line, through the female line. (The Kalokuokamaile transaction to the Laanui name is the only exception to this.) Princess Owana wrote in a press release, "Owana Ka'ohelelani Mahealani-rose Salazar of the House of Keoua Nui -- Father of Kings, by the Grace of God, Princess of Hawaii, is a direct descendant of Keoua Kalanikupuapa'ikalaninui, Father of Kamehameha the Great, through his eldest son Kalokuokamaile.", stating that she was of the House of Keoua Nui rather than Laanui or Kalokuokamaile. The current line is commonly called Laanui, last of the Hawaiian surname of that house, or to represent themself as member of the entire family of Kalokuokamaile and Kamehameha's father, the House of Keoua. Although genealogists may style the current line, more accurately, Wilcox-Laanui-Kalokuokamaile.

Origins

Kalokuokamaile

The eldest branch of the House of Keoua Nui (from island of Hawaii) and descendants of e.g. chiefs of Kona (seat at Kailua), Hana, Kipahulu, and Kaupo, and the dynastic line was established by Prince Kalokuokamaile who was the eldest half-brother of King Kamehameha the Great, who established the reigning branch of their paternal house. Kalokuokamaile was the son of High Chief Keoua Kalanikupuapaikalaninui and High Chieftess Kahikikala-o-kalani of Western Maui. [Pratt, Elizabeth K. (March 27, 2000). Keoua : Father of Kings . Ke Ali'i Pub.]

Kalokuokamaile's paternal ancestry makes his current descendants the closest surviving collateral relatives of the Kamehameha reigning house. From his paternal grandmother, High Chieftess Kamaka'imoku, daughter of Alii Ku'a Nu'uanu, Oahu chief descended from the Chiefs of Hilo who were the descendant of King Umi's youngest son Kumalae, first Alii of Hilo. This maternal grandmother was also the half-sister of Heulu, the father of Keawe-a-Heulu, ancestor of House of Kalakaua.

The ancestry of Kalokuokamaile’s mother High Chiefess Kahikikala-o-kalani was of a cadet branch of the Royal House of Maui. His mother was daughter of High Chief Kalahumoku, Titular chieftain of Hāna, Kaupo and Kipahulu, by his wife, High Chieftess Kalani Kaumehameha. On her father side, she descended from Lono-Honua-Kini, King of Maui, through his youngest daughter the Princess Kuhala of Maui. Through his mother and father, Kalokuokamaile descend from the island chieftains of Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, and (more distanly) Kauai.

Laanui-Kalokuokamaile

The House of Kalokuokamaile went extinct in the male line after Kalokuokamaile was unable to produce a male heir. He was survived by his daughter Princess Kaohelelani, by his wife Kaloiokalani of Kahikinui and Honuaula descent. Kaohelelani married Nuhi, son of Hinai of the noble family of Waimea. Rather than the House of Nuhi, the House continued under the name of Laanui or Laanui-Kalokuokamaile, the name of their son, Gideon Peleioholani Laanui. Gideon's house came to end in 1944 after the death of Theresa Owana Laanui, the last female descendants. The current descendants of Theresa are commonly referred to as the Laanuis.

"Accurate reference to of her descendants:"
* For daughters, Eva and Daisy,
(Cartwright-Laanui-Kalokuokamaile)
* For grandchildren, Elliot, Dwight, and Emily
(Styne-Cartwright-Laanui-Kalokuokamaile)
* For son, Robert, from who descends many other branches descend.
(Wilcox-Laanui-Kalokuokamaile)
* For the most active branch of Robert's descendants under Noa and his mother, Owana
(Wilcox-Laanui-Kalokuokamaile-Deguire-Salazar)
* For daughter, Virginia (Wilcox-Laanui-Kalokuokamaile).
For Virginia’s descendants (Miller-Wilcox-Laanui-Kalokuokamaile)

Claims to Throne

Being the only descendants of any of the brothers of Kamehameha, the Laanuis are closest of the surviving relatives of the Kamehameha dynasty even if their relation toward the Kalakauas are very distant. The Laanui successions are similar to the Miguelist Pretenders of Portugal and The Algarves, since they are not claimant of the last monarch. The claims of succession are from Lunalilo, the last descendant of Keoua Nui to sit on the Hawaiian throne, while the Kawananakoas are successor of Liliuokalani. The Kalakaua and Kawanankoa descendant Kalaninuiamamao while the Keoua Nui descend from Keeaumoku Nui, who were both brothers and sons of Keaweikekahialiiokamoku the last unquestion Alii Aimoku of the Big Island of Hawaii. Prince Quentin Kawananakoa is the ninth-cousin-twice removed of the present Prince Noa Kalokuokamaile III.

Other claims

The Laanui are the closest descendant of Princess Elizabeth Kekaaniau, an alumni to the Chiefs' Children's School. Although Princess Elizabeth was childless she adopted her niece Theresa Owana Laanui as her heir. The Kawananakoa are cousins to the Prince James Kaliokalani, Prince David Kalakaua, and Princess Lydia Liliuokalani classmates of Elizabeth. They are not as closed as the niece and aunt relation. Each of the 15 alii children were declared eligible to succeed to the Hawaiian throne by the royal order of King Kamehameha III with approval of the House of Nobles.

With Theresa's second marriage with Honorable Robert William Kalanihiapo Wilcox, a noted Hawaiian patriot and First Delegate to Congress, who tried to Overthrow the Bayonet Constitution and Republic of Hawaii, the Laanui boasted a closer lineage to the Kings of Maui throught the royal line of Robert's ancesstor, Lonomakaihonua the brother of Kaulahea II, King of Maui. Although the Kawananakoas are the closest in descent of the two to the House of Maui, being descendant of King Kekaulike, son of Kaulahea II.

The House of Laanui survives today and is second most powerful claimants to the Hawaiian throne next to the House of Kawananakoa, who once held royal titles in the reign of the House Kalakaua. Members of the family claimed the titles of prince and princess, as a matter of tradition and respect of their status as "aliokinai" or chiefs of the native Hawaiians, being lines of ancient ancestry.

Head of the Family

*Prince Kalokuokamaile
*Princess Kaohelelani
*Prince Gideon Peleioholani Laanui
*Prince Gideon Kailipalaki Laanui
*Princess Theresa Owana Kaohelelani Laanui
*Prince Robert Kalanikupuapaikalaninui Wilcox
*Princess Helena Kalokuokamaile Wilcox (claimed title Kalokuokamaile II)
*Prince Noa Kalokuokamaile III DeGuire, assisted by mother, Princess Owana Kaohelelani Mahealani-rose Salazar

Citations

External links

* [http://members.tripod.com/~lady_wistfulee/herself.html The House of Keoua]
* [http://www.keouanui.org/KalokuokamaileChart.html Kalokuokamaile Family Chart from the Hawaiokinai Royal Family's official site]
* [http://www.keouanui.org/KamehamehaChart.html Kamehameha Family Chart from the Hawaiokinai Royal Family's official site]
* [http://www.keouanui.org/KealiimaikaiChart.html Kealiimaikai Family Chart from the Hawaiokinai Royal Family's official site]
* [http://www.keouanui.org/KalaimamahuChart.html Kalaimamahu Family Chart from the Hawaiokinai Royal Family's official site]