Kaiulani was the second Cleghorn daughter to die an untimely death. The first had been Annie Cleghorn Wodehouse, who died in 1897 at age 28 from complications following childbirth . The widower was Hay Wodehouse Jr., the son of the British Commissioner to the Hawaiian Islands. After Annie died, Wodehouse sold the family residence in Honolulu, placed his young children with family members, and moved to North Kohala, Hawaii, where he was employed by the Hamakua Ditch Co. His sister-in- law, Rose Cleghorn Robertson, took two-month old Irma Wodehouse. Two year old Hay was sent to Ainahau to live with his Aunt Kaiulani, his cousin Elsie Robertson Jaeger, his nanny, Mary O’Donnell, and his grandfather, Archibald Cleghorn. Four year old Aina went to Louis and Amy (Wodehouse) Von Tempsky at their ranch on Maui.
The senior Wodehouses had not been available for grandchild placement. He had been declared persona non grata by the Dole government in 1895 and was recalled by London after he was too vocal in his continuing support for Queen Liliuokalani. His request for a farewell audience with the Queen, who at that moment was incarcerated, had been denied by Dole. In the summer of 1897, while making her way to the Davies residence in England en route home, Kaiulani and her father stopped for what would be a final visit with the Wodehouses.
Hay Wodehouse Jr. was also a guest at the Parker wedding at Mana. One wonders if he and Kaiulani had an opportunity to meet. Annie had married Wodehouse in Honolulu almost two years after she and Kaiulani had traveled together to England.
1898 had begun as the best year of Archibald Cleghorn’s life, with his daughter, now a woman of the world, returned from Europe. In February, there had been a birthday luau for Prince David (Koa) Kawananakoa. Some thought an engagement would be announced. There were toasts to the prince and princess, but nothing more, except a curious New York Times entry from February 12, which announced the engagement! In March, there was a farewell party at Ainahau for Theo H. Davies, the former guardian of the Princess, who was returning to England.
Then came June, and word that Davies had died in England. July brought the crushing news that annexation had been approved in Washington. The year which had begun so well was turning to ashes. August found the Americans taking the Hawaiian flag from Iolani Palace and replacing it with three American flags. The Kingdom was gone. America had taken over the Islands. Then too quickly came December, and with it, the Parker wedding.
The Ruler of the Heavens 