Queen Lili‘uokalani’s royal standard that continued to fly above Washington Place despite the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom was welcomed back to Honolulu 130 years later Monday with a blessing and procession from the palace to Washington Place, the governor’s mansion.

The return of the royal standard — the symbol of the kingdom — represents ongoing efforts to bring back and preserve artifacts belonging to Hawaii and its history.

“The cost is immaterial, considering the speed and efficacy at which we can return these items to the people,” said state archivist Adam Jansen, who stepped in two years ago to halt the sale of the royal standard and documents written at the time ordering the queen to take it down.

“As we firmly believe that public records and artifacts belong in the public archives under public- record laws, we will continue to fight to bring these irreplaceable heritage items back,” Jansen said. “No matter where they reside, for the good of the people and the benefit of future generations, we must bring them home.”

The royal standard — and its continuing presence over Washington Place — also represents Lili‘uokalani’s legacy and devotion to her people, said first lady Jaime Kanani Green before the standard was temporarily put on display at Washington Place before being stored in the state archives.

“It symbolizes her personal sacrifice to secure the prosperity and peace for her people,” she said.

Gov. Josh Green said, “The people of Hawaii, particularly the first lady, our scholars and the Attorney General’s Office, placed a priority on our heritage. And it’s a reflection of our values, which is to restore the culture and heritage.”

Following the illegal overthrow on Jan. 17, 1893, by the U.S. government, the royal standard continued to fly over Washington Place for two days — whether by intention or oversight remains a mystery.

But documents at the time that also came back to Honolulu on Monday chronicle why it was taken down, ended up in California and then into the hands of an antiquities dealer, along with the original documents, who planned to auction them off two years ago at Bonhams in New York.

Jansen stepped in and was able to prevent the auction. The late Abigail Kawananakoa and Damon Estate heiress Brendan Damon Ethington together then paid a total of $60,000 to have the standard and documents returned.

Lili‘uokalani surrendered peacefully, averting the likely deaths of her people. But the royal standard remained over Washington Place for two more days.

The commander in chief of the provisional government forces that took over sent an aide to Lili‘uokalani during her confinement in the palace who carried a note explaining that she could still fly the Hawaiian flag but not the royal standard.

Why the standard remained also remains a mystery.

“Whether through a deliberate act or the result of household staff going about their day, we don’t know,” Jansen said Monday.

So the commander in chief ordered it to be seized, and it was then delivered to the barracks. Much of the standard’s journey out of Hawaii remains a mystery, but it ended up with the commander in chief’s descendants in California, followed by their sale to the antiquities dealer.

The royal standard was returned with a ceremonial procession from Iolani Palace to Washington Place. It was received by a delegation that included state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, who co-chairs the Native Hawaiian Caucus in the Senate, state Rep. Daniel Holt, who chairs the Native Hawaiian Caucus in the House, and Louise “Gussie” Schubert, Lili‘uokalani’s hanai great- granddaughter and president of the Washington Place Foundation board of directors.

The ceremony aired Monday on ‘Olelo 54 and will be rebroadcast on ‘Olelo 49 at 6 p.m. Aug. 4, 8 a.m. Aug. 7, 1 p.m. Aug. 9 and 10 p.m. Aug. 16.

———

Linsey Dower covers ethnic and cultural affairs and is a corps member of Report for America, a national service organization that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues and communities.