page_title: Royal Guards of Hawaii
hierarchical_section_title: Royal Guards of Hawaii
caption_attribution_description: English: Royal Guards in front of the house of Queen Lili'uokalani (known as Washington Place), circa 1891–93. In February 1893, John L. Stevens wrote in his despatch to the U.S. State department that "there was no military force in the islands but the royal guard of about 75 natives, not in effective force equal to 20 American soldiers. These were promptly discharged by the Provisional Government, except 16 left as the guard of the fallen Queen at her house." John L. Stevens, United States Legation, Honolulu, February 1, 1893, Despatch 84, copy in Blount Report, 403–4. Pictured here are the "fallen Queen's house," Washington Place, and the guard of sixteen, plus their captain. Photograph by Hedemann, 1891–93. Courtesy of the Bishop Museum.
context_page_description: The Royal Guard of the Hawaii National Guard is an Air National Guard ceremonial unit which is uniformed in a manner similar to the royal bodyguard of the Kingdom of Hawaii of the late 19th century. The original 50-man unit had been disbanded by King Lunalilo after the barrack mutiny of 1873, reestablished by King Kalakaua, and finally abolished when the monarchy fell in revolution at the end of the 19th century.
  The current Royal Guards were raised in 1962 as a purely ceremonial unit. Each guardsman is a Hawaiian resident, a member of the Hawaii Air National Guard, of full or partial Hawaiian descent. The unit appears in support of the Governor at official State and other public functions; less frequently, the unit appears at ceremonies involving descendants of former Hawaiian royalty.
  In 1963, the Royal Guards consisted of 14 men. It has grown to a strength of 42.
context_section_description: The Royal Guard of the Hawaii National Guard is an Air National Guard ceremonial unit which is uniformed in a manner similar to the royal bodyguard of the Kingdom of Hawaii of the late 19th century. The original 50-man unit had been disbanded by King Lunalilo after the barrack mutiny of 1873, reestablished by King Kalakaua, and finally abolished when the monarchy fell in revolution at the end of the 19th century.
  The current Royal Guards were raised in 1962 as a purely ceremonial unit. Each guardsman is a Hawaiian resident, a member of the Hawaii Air National Guard, of full or partial Hawaiian descent. The unit appears in support of the Governor at official State and other public functions; less frequently, the unit appears at ceremonies involving descendants of former Hawaiian royalty.
  In 1963, the Royal Guards consisted of 14 men. It has grown to a strength of 42.
caption: The Royal Guards in front of Washington Place.
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