Royal Guards of Hawaii



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 after the monarchy fell during the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom at the end of the 19th century.

Original Guard
The Royal Guard, also known as the King’s Guard (Name depending on the gender of the reigning monarch) and the Household Troops were established in 1854. It was founded to protect the kingdom's sovereignty from foreign threats and to (as original intent) protect and serve the Royal Family. One of the first events that included the guard was the 1854 funeral procession of Kamehameha III which featured the guard and multiple other military companies, such as the Royal Hawaiian Band and a similarly named First Hawaiian Guard

During the reign of King Lunalilo the guard was briefly disbanded after a mutiny occurred concerning the strict treatment of the soldiers under Captain Joseph Jajczay in ʻIolani Barracks

After Mutiny
The guard was re-established in 1874 following the ascension of King David Kalākaua.

In 1884, Robert Hoapili Baker reported the conditions of the state of the guard and the military of the kingdom, and that they were well capable of performing their duties as a trained force; though they only had so far been in two engagementments: A riot at an immigration depot in 1883, and the 1874 Barracks Mutiny. As Baker also noted: "“It is to be regretted that an institution such as this [Military], which ought to be considered as one of the fundamental institutions of the Government, should be allowed to remain inoperative and in a condition discreditable to a nation ranking on a political scale and influence with other powers, but unable to provide for its own safety…”"

referencing the small scale of the guard and its improbability to properly defend the nation.

In 1885, the guard once again was included in a funeral procession; this time with brand new uniforms with the newly-formed Honolulu Rifles and other volunteer companies.

After the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom, the royal guard was disbanded on January 18, 1893. However, for a brief period, the Provisional Government of Hawaii kept a small portion of the organization left to guard Queen Lili‘uokalani in Washington Place, though it was quickly disbanded on February 28, 1893.

Current Guard
The current Royal Guards were established on November 16, 1963; the unit is an honor guard, with a mandate to preserve historical ties. 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.

Weapons

 * Springfield 45-70 rifles
 * Winchester Rifle

Ranks
Below are the ranks of the current Royal Guard of the Hawai‘i Air National Guard


 * Kapena Moku (Captain)
 * Luna Koa (1st Lieutenant)
 * Lutanela (2nd Lieutenant)
 * He Kakiana (First Sergeant)
 * Kakiana Ekahi (Sergeant 1st Squad)
 * Kakiana Elua (Sergeant 2nd Squad)
 * Kakiana Ekolu (Sergeant 3rd Squad)
 * Kakiana Eha (Sergeant 4th Squad)
 * Kaiana Pu (Ordnance Sergeant)
 * Kapala Ekahi (Corporal 1st Squad)
 * Kopala Elua (Corporal 2nd Squad)
 * Kopala Ekolu (Corporal 3rd Squad)
 * Kopala Eha (Corporal 4th Squad)
 * Kopala Hae (Color Guard Corporal)
 * 1 Hookani Pahu (Drummer)
 * 27 Koa (Soldiers)

Uniform


The uniform of the Royal Guard before the 1880s is mostly unknown due to the lack of photographs and scarce documentation. However, after the 1880s, enlists of the guard are seen wearing a dark blue service dress tunic and a white spiked cork pith helmet during formal occasions. Officers in the guard during the reign of Kalākaua often wore double-breasted tunics with a spiked pith helmet and plume during formal occasions. Enlisted soldiers wore undress white uniforms with a peaked cap (early 1880s) or a Glengarry during non-formal occasions. Before the uniform changes in 1885, the guard wore Prussian pickelhaubes.