Public memorial held at Iolani Palace for late Hawaiian heiress Abigail Kawananakoa

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A solemn public memorial service is taking place Sunday for late Hawaiian royal heiress Abigail Kawananakoa, who died in December at 96.

Kawananakoa will lie in state in the throne room at Iolani Palace for public viewing from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Her casket arrived around 1:30 p.m. with a traditional Hawaiian chants procession into the throne room.

The Kawananakoa family requests mourners respect the dignity of the event and behave appropriately. Flash photography, video, large bags and backpacks are prohibited inside Iolani Palace.

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The last royal family member to lie in state at the palace was Prince Jonah Kuhio in 1922.

Kawananakoa, Campbell Estate heiress, was considered a princess by many because of her royal lineage.

“She is a descendant of of Queen Kapiolani’s nephew Prince David Kawananakoa. Her mother was instrumental in the founding of Iolani Palace in 1966,” said Zita Cup Choy, Iolani Palace historian.

Queen Liliuokalani’s private funeral was also in the throne room.

Kawananakoa was president of the Friends of Iolani Palace for almost 30 years. She donated money, artifacts the family inherited and was a guiding force for the palace’s restoration.

For more information on the memorial service, click here.

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