Following the January 20, 1891 death of King Kalākaua in San Francisco, his embalmed body arrived at Honolulu Harbor aboard the USS Charleston, draped in black with its ensigns at half mast. His sister Liliʻuokalani was designated his successor.

The Privy Council of State of the Kingdom of Hawaii was a constitutionally-created body purposed to advise and consent to acts made by the monarch. The cabinet ministers were ex-officio members. Other privy counselors were appointed by the monarch according to his (or her) personal wishes. At an emergency meeting of Kalākaua's privy council and justices of the supreme court, they were in accord that Liliʻuokalani be installed as monarch on January 29. She did not wish to discuss affairs of state during the period of mourning, but reluctantly acquiesced, and was given the oath of office by Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Albert Francis Judd. Her husband John Owen Dominis was given the title of Prince Consort..

The 1887 Constitution of the Kingdom of Hawaii had made a key change in regards to the cabinet ministers. The monarch was still empowered to appoint the ministers, but only the legislature, or a voluntary resignation, could remove them from office. After her brother's funeral, the queen demanded the resignations of his ministers, causing a legal challenge when they refused. The case was decided in her favor by the Supreme Court of the kingdom. All four cabinet members submitted their resignations, and three of the four remained on her privy council.

Below is a list of 57 individuals known to have served on the queen's privy council, all citizens and subjects of the kingdom. The advisory body was composed of men who were of Native Hawaiian descent, Euro-American descent, mixed Hawaiian and Euro-American descent, and one member of Asian-Hawaiian descent. They included the insurgents who would play an eventual role in the deposition of the queen, and also the political resistance leaders who would lead the opposition to the overthrow and attempts to annex the Hawaiian Islands to the United States. The meeting dates and the roster of individuals were gleaned from the Minutes of the Privy Council, 1881–1892 and the Hawaiian Registers and Directories for 1891, 1892 and 1893, published in Thomas G. Thrum’s Hawaiian Almanac and Annual.; ; The century-old archived records are often spotty, and should not be considered complete.

Privy council members

Name PortraitMeeting dates Notes William DeWitt Alexander 1891Jan 29, Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21President of Oahu College 1864–1871, Surveyor General of the KingdomWilliam Fessenden Allen1891Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 15Served with the rank of colonel on the personal staffs of Kamehameha V, Lunalilo and Kalākaua. Privy Council of State under Kalākaua.Joseph Ballard Atherton1891Apr 9, Aug 31, Dec 181892Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 15President of Castle & Cooke, Ltd.John Tamatoa BakerNot present in any recorded Privy Council meetings, 1891–18921884–1891 Privy Council. Legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Held the rank of Colonel on the queen's staff; ; Robert Hoapili BakerNot present in any recorded Privy Council meetings, 1891–18921884–1891 Privy Council; Household Guard of Kalākaua; Member of the Legislature, House of Representatives; ; ; George Charles Moʻoheau Beckley1892Jul 81891–1892 Privy Council; Richard F. Bickerton1891Apr 9, Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 151891, Privy Council, 1878 House of Representatives; 1886–1895 Third Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; ; ; Charles Reed Bishop1892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31All Privy Councils since Kamehameha IV Cecil Brown1892Nov 15Attorney General Nov, 1892 – Jan 12, 1893Godfrey Brown1891Jan 29Minister of FinanceJan 29 – Feb 25, 1891John Edward Bush1891Jan 29 House of Representatives 1890–1892Joseph O. Carter1891Apr 9, Aug 311892Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 151873-1873 House of Representatives; 1891 Privy Council; Financial advisor to Liliʻuokalani; Archibald Scott Cleghorn1891Jan 29, Apr 9, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 151873–1891 Privy Council; 1891–1893 Governor of Oahu; Husband of Liliʻuokalani's sister Likelike; William H. Cornwell1891Aug 311892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31Minister of FinanceNovember 1, 1892 – November 1, 1892John Adams Cummins1891Jan 29, Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21House of Nobles 1890–1892Minister of Foreign AffairsJun 17, 1890 – Feb 25, 1891Samuel Mills Damon1891Jan 29, Apr 9, Aug 311892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31Cabinet minister under KalākauaSanford B. Dole1891Dec 181892Apr 21President of both the Provisional Government of Hawaii and the Republic of Hawaii after the overthrow of the monarchy, and later became the 1st Governor of the Territory of HawaiiJohn Owen Dominis1891Jan 29, Apr 9Prince Consort of the Hawaiian islands, husband of Liliʻuokalani; 1863–1891 Privy Council; 1864–1886 Governor of Oahu; 1878–1886 Governor of Maui, Molokai, Lanai; John Ena1891Jan 29, Apr 9, Dec 181892Apr 21, Aug 31 House of Nobles 1892Kalākaua's privy councilCreated the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company in 1883, with partners Thomas R. Foster, William Foster, George Norton Wilcox and William B. Godfrey.; Abraham Kaleimahoe Fernandez1891Dec 181892Jul 8, Nov 15Business man, elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Walter M. GiffardNot present in any recorded Privy Council meetings, 1891–1892Privy Council, Aug 5, 1891Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ AssociationActing chancellor of the French legation; acting French commissioner and consul-general; acting consul general for Portugal; Frederick H. Hayselden1891Jan 29, Apr 9Born in England, son-in-law of Walter Murray Gibson. Sheriff of Maui, inherited the island of Lanai from Gibson. ; ; John Green Hoapili1891Apr 9, Aug 311892Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 15House of Nobles 1891–1892Curtis P. Iaukea1891Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 15Career diplomat, office holder, and military officer for the Kingdom, Provisional Government, and Territory of HawaiiWilliam G. Irwin1891Jan 29, Aug 311892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 151887 Privy Council under KalākauaBusiness and investment banking partner of Claus Spreckels and former California governor F. F. Low. DBA as Claus Spreckels & Co, the partnership circulated the Kalākaua coinage in Hawaii and floated loans to the monarchy/government. Irwin was also a partner of Samuel Gardner Wilder in the steamship business. ; ; Paul Isenberg Jr.1891Aug 31aka Daniel Paul Rice Isenberg aka 1903–1905 president Territorial Senate 1913–1915 Territorial House of Representatives son of Paul Isenberg of Amfac; Peter Cushman Jones1892Nov 15Minister of FinanceNov 8, 1892 – Jan 12, 1893Albert Francis Judd1891Jan 29, Apr 9, Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 8, Nov 15Chief Justice Supreme Court of HawaiiCabinet minister under KalākauaAttorney GeneralJunius Kaʻae1891Jan 29, Apr 9, Aug 31, Dec 18Member of the Legislature, House of Nobles 1882–86; Registrar of Conveyances 1886–87; Privy Council 1883David Kahanu1891Jan 29, Apr 9, Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 81877 appointed to Private Ways & Water Rights. Appointed to Kalākaua's Privy Council June 25, 1879, and appointed to Liliʻuokalani's Privy Council on March 7, 1891.Paul P. KanoaNot present in any recorded Privy Council meetings, 1891–1892Cabinet minister under KalākauaMinister of Finance John Lot Kaulukoʻu1891Jan 29Cabinet minister under KalākauaAttorney GeneralJohn K. Kaunamano1892Jul 8, Nov 15Member of the Legislature, House of Nobles; David Kawānanakoa1891Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 8, Nov 15House of Kalākaua, third in line to the throneEdward Kamakau Lilikalani1891Apr 9, Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 151883 Privy Council; 1889 Capt. King's Staff; 1890, 1st Lt. King's Guards; 1892, Col. Queen's StaffRoyal Order of Oceania, Order of Oceania, Order of Kalakaua, Order of Kapiolani; ; ; Lawrence McCully1891Jan 29, Apr 91858–1859 Member of the Legislature, House of Representatives; 1860 Senate; 1878–1891 Privy Council; 1877–1892; Associate Justice of the Supreme Court; John Mott-Smith1891Aug 31Minister of FinanceJuly 28 – Oct 17, 1891David Hopeni NahinuNot present in any recorded Privy Council meetings, 1891–1892Member of the Legislature, House of RepresentativesPaul Neumann1891Apr 9, Aug 311892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31Attorney GeneralAug 29–30, 1892Sept 12 – Oct 17, 1892Acted as the queen's personal attorney after the overthrow.; Samuel Parker1891Jan 29, Apr 9, Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 15Minister of Finance (acting)Mar 10 – June 28, 1891Oct 17, 1891 – Jan 28 1892Minister of Foreign AffairsFeb 25, 1891– Nov 1, 1892Jan 13–17, 1893Franklin Seaver Pratt1891Apr 91892Apr 21, Jul 8, Nov 18Consul-General in San FranciscoGodfrey RhodesNot present in any recorded Privy Council meetings, 1891–1892Member of the Legislature, House of Nobles, President of the Legislative Assembly; ; George E. RichardsonNot present in any recorded Privy Council meetings, 1891–1892George Edward Kekuihapo Richardson. Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit ; l John Richardson1891Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31Member of the Legislature, House of Representatives 1884, House of Nobles 1887-8. Part of the native Hawaiian commission that submitted the Kūʻē Petitions protesting annexation by the United States.Son of Circuit Judge John Richardson; James W. Robertson1892July 81888 Vice Chamberlain; 1881 Chamberlain; 1891 Major on staff of Gov. of Oahu; 1892 Privy Council; Mark Prever Robinson1892Apr 21, Aug 3, Nov 15Minister of Foreign AffairsNov 8, 1892 – Jan 12, 1893Antone Rosa1891Apr 9, Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Aug 31Cabinet minister under KalākauaAttorney GeneralWilliam E. Rowell1891Jan 291884 Member of the Legislature, House of Representatives; 1887 Privy Council; William James Smith1891Jan 29, Apr 91892Apr 21, Nov 15Born in Tahiti, attended the Royal School (was he on the 1881 world trip?), decorated with the Royal Order of Kalākaua, and by the Emperor of Japan with the Order of the Sacred TreasureCharles Nichols Spencer1891Jan 29, Apr 9, Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31Minister of the InteriorJun 17, 1890 – Sept 12, 1892Alfred N. Tripp1891Jan 29, Apr 9, Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 15Privy Council 1874, Aug 13, 1884 – Nov 15, 1892Honolulu Harbor masterJul 28, 1883 Special Commissioner for Central and Western Polynesia.; John Smith Walker1891Jan 29, Apr 9, Aug 311892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 15Cabinet minister under KalākauaAttorney GeneralMinister of FinanceJohn T. Waterhouse Jr.1891Jan 29-Mar 7Served on Kalākaua's Privy Council of State from Sept 19, 1887Henry Martyn Whitney1891Jan 29, Apr 9, Aug 31, Dec 181892Jul 8, Aug 31, Nov 15Founder of Pacific Commercial Advertiser and Hawaiian language newspaper Ka Nupepa Kūʻokoʻa.Hermann A. Widemann1891Apr 9, Dec 181892Apr 21, Jul 8, Aug 31Minister of FinanceFeb 25 – Mar 10,1891Jul 28 – Sept 12, 1892Justice of the Supreme CourtJuly 10, 1869 – Feb 18, 1874Appointed by Kamehameha V; George Norton Wilcox1892Apr 21, Nov 15Minister of the InteriorNov 8, 1892 – Jan 12, 1893Charles Burnett Wilson1891Aug 31, Dec 181892Apr 21, Nov 15Fire chief under King Kalākaua, 1891 Privy Council, Marshal of the Kingdom under Queen Liliʻuokalani. Father of Honolulu Mayor John H. Wilson.

See also Liliʻuokalani's Cabinet ministers Kalākaua's Privy Council of State 1892 legislative session of the Hawaiian Kingdom MOS Hawaii-related articles

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