In some ways Kamehameha V, Lot Kamehameha — last of the Kamehameha Dynasty — was the anti-thesis of King Kalakaua.
There was little that was "merry" about this monarch. Ever solemn, never flamboyant, Lot was unmoved by royal trappings, although he was fully aware of his kingly authority.
During his nine-year reign, he ruled as a despot. He abruptly replaced the old Constitution with one that elevated his powers while limiting voter privileges, and he discouraged hula dancing. Yet he was a benevolent, capable leader who was favorably viewed.
"He dressed plainly, poked about Honolulu, night or day, on his old horse, unattended," wrote Mark Twain in 1866. "He was popular, greatly respected and even beloved."
Ironically, as a young man, Lot had been deemed less able than his charismatic younger brother, Kamehameha IV, Alexander Liholiho, who therefore was groomed to become king.
Alexander did become king in 1854 at age 20. But when he died unexpectedly in fall 1863, Lot was swiftly declared monarch.
He immediately shook things up by refusing to swear obedience to the Constitution of 1852, which decreed the king would share power with a legislature.
Thus, the stage was set for Lot to institute in 1864 his own Constitution that ended the privy council's control over him. He further manifested his authority by skillfully controlling his Cabinet.
Lot believed the survival of an independent Hawai'i depended on the strength of the crown. His intelligence and single-mindedness brought reinvigoration of the royal authority that had eroded before him.
But while Lot's efforts succeeded in the short term, they also strengthened the resolve of those committed to the monarchy's overthrow.
And, because Lot never married and never had children, and Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop refused his deathbed offer to succeed him, there was no heir apparent when Kamehameha V died after a brief illness on the eve of his 42nd birthday, Dec. 11, 1872.
