Monday, July 13, 2009

Another engagement




July 13, 1889

The Chicago Daily Tribune today reports that Prince Eugen of Sweden has become engaged. His bride-to-be is Princess Kalakani of the Sandwich Islands. The Prince lives in Paris, where he studies painting.

Eugen's putative fiancee was more likely Princess Victoria Ka'iulani (1875-1899). She was half-British as her father, Archibald Cleghorn, was born in Edinburgh.

Her mother, Miriam, was the sister of Queen Liliuokalani, who was childless. The princess was heir to the Hawaiian throne and linked to two Japanese princes and several Hawaiian cousins. In 1898, she became engaged to Prince David Kawānanakoa, but she died before the marriage could take place.

[There was never an engagement between the Swedish prince and the Hawaiian Princess.]

5 comments:

Susan said...

Marlene, is this Prince Eugen who was the son of King Oscar II?

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

Yes. I do not hold much credence to the story, actually.

Susan said...

No, I don't either. The princess was 14 at the time! I looked up Prince Eugen and it appears he never did marry and lived into his 80s.

Marlene Eilers Koenig said...

It was a guess regarding the princess. Eugen was gay, actually.

Brightshadow said...

I assume the paper had a column inch to fill and Hawaii (recently annexed by the U.S.) was newsworthy, so that's what they invented.