Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa

Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa (born April 23, 1926), sometimes called Kekau, is a member of the House of Kawānanakoa. She is referred to by many as a princess, a common honorary bestowed to descendants of titled subjects of the Kingdom of Hawaii or important figures in Hawaiian history, although she holds no official title and wields no power or influence in the Hawaiian state government.

Abigail K. K. Kawānanakoa
Born (1926-04-23) April 23, 1926
Honolulu, Oahu
Spouse
Veronica Gail Worth
​
(m. 2017)​
HouseKawānanakoa
FatherWilliam Jeremiah Ellerbrock
MotherLydia Liliuokalani Kawānanakoa
Occupation
  • Rancher
  • equestrian
  • philanthropist

Birth and early life

She was the only child of Lydia Liliuokalani Kawānanakoa, born during her marriage with William Jeremiah Ellerbrock.[1] At the age of six, she was legally adopted by her grandmother, Princess Abigail Campbell Kawānanakoa, in the Hawaiian tradition of hānai with the intention that she remain a direct heir to a possible restoration of the kingdom.[2] As Liliʻuokalani's great grand niece, she is considered by some to be heir apparent should restoration of the monarchy occur.[3]

Kawānanakoa was educated at Punahou School in Honolulu, the Shanghai American School in Shanghai from 1938 to 1939, and Notre Dame High School in Belmont, California, from which she graduated in 1943. She attended Dominican College in San Rafael, California from 1943 to 1944, and studied at the University of Hawaii in 1945.[1]

Equine endeavors

Kawānanakoa is an expert horsewoman and owner of ranches in Hawaii, California, and Washington State. She is a 20-year cumulative breeder of AQHA quarter horses; her horses’ many victories include the 1993 All American Futurity (G1) with A Classic Dash and the 1995 Los Alamitos Million Futurity (G1, now the Los Alamitos Two Million Futurity) with Evening Snow. After winning "the richest race in the quarter horse world", she retired A Classic Dash from racing to stand at her Lakeview Quarter Horse Ranch in California.[4] Due to her support of the equine medicine program at Colorado State University, on May 13, 2016, she was awarded an honorary degree.[5]

Family legacy

Kawānanakoa was the president of the Friends of ʻIolani Palace from 1971 to 1998, succeeding her mother, who founded the organization. In June 1992, Kawānanakoa pleaded with activists to hold further sovereignty demonstrations away from the palace after 32 demonstrators attempted to enter the building.[6] The palace was built by her great-grand uncle, King David Kalākaua. She has been active in various causes for the preservation of native Hawaiian culture, including the restoration of ‘Iolani Palace.[7]

She was heiress to the largest stake in the estate of her great-grandfather, James Campbell, a 19th-century industrialist from Ireland. When the estate was converted into a corporation in 2007, her share was estimated to be about US$250 million.[8]

In 2013 Kawānanakoa requested to be buried in a new crypt at the Royal Mausoleum of Hawaii at Mauna ʻAla directly adjacent to the Wyllie Tomb. The request was approved by the State Land Board on April 26, 2013, but the decision has become controversial in the Hawaiian community.[9][10][11]

On 1 October 2017, Kawānanakoa married Veronica Gail Worth, in Honolulu. The couple were married in a ceremony performed at the home of Justice Steven Levinson.[12] In 2017 Kawānanakoa had a medical episode. In a handwritten letter by her to the media, she explained her firing of her former attorney James Wright.[13] Wright, a trustee for the multimillion-dollar Abigail K. K. Kawananakoa Revocable Living Trust has made accusations that Worth has abused her 92 year old spouse however, Michael Rudy, Worth's attorney has denied the allegations and questioned the photos provided.[14]

Ancestry
Jonah PiʻikoiKekahiliKūhiō KalanianaʻoleKinoiki KekaulikeJohn Maipinepine BrightMary Kamai Hanaike
David Kahalepouli PiikoiVictoria Kūhiō Kinoiki KekaulikeJames CampbellAbigail Kuaihelani Maipinepine Bright
David KawānanakoaAbigail Campbell Kawānanakoa
* Legally adopted mother of Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa
William Jeremiah EllerbrockLydia Liliuokalani Kawānanakoa
Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kawānanakoa

References
  1. Buker, Betty Finley (1972). Men and Women of Hawaii. 9. Honolulu: Star-Bulletin Print. Company. p. 303. OCLC 235875044.
  2. Dyke, Jon M. Van (2008). Who Owns the Crown Lands of Hawaiʻi?. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press. p. 370. ISBN 978-0-8248-3211-7.
  3. Robert D. Craig (2011). Historical Dictionary of Polynesia. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 136. ISBN 978-0-8108-6772-7.
  4. "AQHA: Champion of Champions Qualifier Profile: Divide The Cash". 2010-12-02. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2011-08-12.
  5. "CSU confers honorary degree to Princess Abigail Kawananakoa - SOURCE". 9 May 2016.
  6. Omandam, Pat (1998-07-22). "'Kekau' lives up to her royal lineage: Abigail Kawananakoa has been president of the Friends of 'Iolani Palace since 1971". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
  7. Pang, Gordon Y.K. (2007-10-04). "Heiress pays to stop party at Hawaii palace". Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
  8. Daysog, Rick (2006-06-11). "The great divide". Honolulu Advertiser. Archived from the original on 2010-03-26. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
  9. Cruz, Catherine (2013-04-22). "Abigail Kawananakoa pushes for new crypt at Mauna 'Ala". KITV News. Archived from the original on 2013-06-15.
  10. Cruz, Catherine (2013-04-26). "Land board approves burial crypt for Abigail Kawananakoa". KITV News. Archived from the original on 2013-06-15.
  11. Zoellick, Sarah (June 9, 2013). "Sacred Grounds". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Honolulu. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
  12. "Kawananakoa marries longtime partner amid court battle". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  13. Huff, Daryl. "Lawyer disputes allegation he's trying to take control of $200M Kawananakoa estate". Retrieved 2018-07-18.
  14. Daysog, Rick. "In ongoing estate battle, heiress Kawananakoa's partner accused of abuse". Retrieved 2018-07-18.
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