'Iolani Palace is one of three royal residences in Hawaii. It became the home of King Kamehameha V after the originally commisioned Ali'iolani Hale across the street proved too small.
'Io is a Hawaiian hawk, endemic to the Big Island of Hawaii. Lani means sky, heaven; and heavenly, spiritual.
The last king to reside in 'Iolani Palace was King David Kalakaua, with his wife Queen Kapiolani. After King Kalakaua's death, his sister Lydia Kamaka'eha Liliuokalani became the last reigning monarch of the Hawaiian Islands before the overthrow of the government in 1893.
Queen Liliuokalani was an accomplished musician and played many instruments, including piano, ukulele, and zither. Among the songs she composed are Hawaii's national anthem and the popular love song, Aloha 'Oe. After the takeover, she was tried for treason against the Republic of Hawaii in 1895 and imprisoned in a small room within 'Iolani Palace.
