July 14, 1824: The Death of King Liholiho
In 1824, King Liholiho and Queen Kamāmalu journeyed to London to negotiate an alliance with England. Almost the entire royal party developed measles within weeks of arrival. On July 14, 1824, King Liholiho, aged 27, succumbed to complications related to measles. Queen Kamāmalu, who was only 22, had died just a few days prior on July 8.
Below is the Report of Physicians, issued by Doctors Henry Holland and Hugh Ley. The sad report indicates that King Liholiho changed “materially for the worse” after the death of his beloved wife.
London, July 15, 1824
The King of the Sandwich Islands was taken ill on the 15th of June. His symptoms were so severe as to required the loss of Blood by which he was relieved. He continued so well as to justify confident hope of his recovery until the death of the Queen; soon after which changing materially for the worse, he gradually declined until he died without a struggle or a groan at four oʻclock on the morning of Wednesday, July 14th 1824, surrounded by those affectionate attendants who had accompanied him on his voyage to England.
The King was attended in his illness by the Physicians of his Majesty the King of England in conjunction with ourselves.
Henry Holland M.D.
Hugh Ley M.D.