Alexander ʻIolani (Kamehameha IV) was born in 1834 and became king in 1855 at age 20. He was well-educated, traveled abroad, and worked to protect Hawaiian independence by strengthening ties with Britain and reducing U.S. influence. He and Queen Emma also founded Queen’s Hospital to improve public health.

They had one son, Prince Albert, whose death at age four deeply affected the king. Grief and declining health led Kamehameha IV to withdraw from public life, and he died in 1863 at just 29. Despite his short reign, he is remembered for defending Hawaiian sovereignty and supporting the well-being of his people.