Ua hānau ʻia ʻo Kuini ʻEmalani ma ka lā 2 o Ianuali ma ka Makahiki 1836 ma Honolulu. ʻO Nāʻea a ʻo Fanny Kekelaokalani Young kona mau lauaʻi mākua akā ua hānai ʻia e ko Fanny kaikaina ʻo Grace Kamaʻikuʻi Young, ka wahine a Kauka Kamuela Rooke. Ua aloha nui ʻia ʻo Emma a kapa ʻia ʻo ia, ʻo ia ka “wahine holo lio,” ke “aliʻi piʻi kuahiwi,” a ʻo Kaleleonālani ma muli o ka hala ʻana o kāna keiki ʻo Ka Haku o Hawaiʻi a me kāna kāne ka Mōʻīkāne ʻo Liholiho ʻIolani, Kamehameha IV.
Ua hānai ʻia ʻo ʻEmalani ma Ruka Hale. Aia ka hale ma ke kihi o Beretania me ke alanui Nuʻuanu ma ka ʻaoʻao Waikīkī-ma kai – ma kahi o Mark’s Garage i kēia manawa. Noho ka ʻohana ma ka papahele ʻelua a aia nā lumi keʻena no ke kauka me nā poʻe maʻi i kipa iā ia ma ka papahele mua. ʻO kona lauaʻi makuahine ʻo Fanny, ua noho ʻo ia ma Polihale Hale ma ke kula o Kaukeano, kokoke i ke alanui Alakea. Ma hope o ka hala ʻana o kāna keiki me kāna kāne, ua hoʻi ʻo ʻEmalani e noho ma Ruka Hale. Ma laila ʻo ia i haʻalele ai ma ka honua nei a hui pū me ke keiki a me ke kāne ma lani. Ua hala ʻo ʻEmalani ma kekahi Pōʻano, ma ka hola ʻekahi ʻauinalā ma ka lā 25 o ʻApelila, 1885.
Inā luhi ke kuini i ka wela o Honolulu me ka pūehuehu o ka lepo mai nā alanui ma Ruka Hale, ua hiki iā ia ke hele i kona hale ma Hālawa Kai, Oʻahu, ma kahi o ka ʻāina koa ʻo Hickam. ʻOluʻolu ka makani Moaʻe ma laila a kokoke nō i ke awa ʻo Puʻuloa me ka loko iʻa ʻo Lelepaua ma ke ahupuaʻa o Moanalua. Ua puni ke kuini i ke kanu mea kanu, a ma laila ʻo ia i kanu ai i nā pua a me nā kumu lāʻau like ʻole e like me ka ‘alani, ka pea, a me ka manakō. I nā manawa a ʻEmalani i kipa ai iā Kauaʻi. ʻo ke kanu mea kanu kāna hana punahele.
ʻO ka home kaulana nō naʻe o ʻEmalani, ʻo ia ʻo Hānaiakamalama, ka home i makana ʻia iā ʻEmalani e kona makuakāne ʻohana ʻo Keoni Ana. Ma muli o ka ʻoluʻolu o Nuʻuanu ma nā kau wela, he hale i kipa a noho ʻia e ke kuini ma kona noho ʻana i mōʻī wahine o Hawaiʻi mai 1855-1863.
He aliʻi i aloha nui ʻia ʻo ʻEmalani ma muli o kona aloha menemene nui kona lāhui i hāʻule i ka maʻi e like me ka ahulau maʻi puʻupuʻu liʻiliʻi o 1853. Ma muli o ia maʻi, ua koi ʻia ka ʻAhaʻōlelo e kukulu i haukapila e ka Lani ʻIolani me Kuini ʻEmalani a ua hōʻuluʻulu kālā lāua ma kahi o $13,000 kālā, Na lāua i hāʻawi $2,000 pākahi ($82,000 pākahi i kēia manawa). No laila ua kūkulu ʻia ka Haukapila ʻo ka Mōʻī Wahine ma Manamana, kekahi ʻāina a Kapaʻakea. ʻO “Queen’s” ka inoa o ka haukapila a hiki i kēia lā.
ʻAʻole i kana mai ke aloha o ʻEmalani no kona lāhui. Ma kona wā kānemake, ua hoʻouna ʻia ʻo ia e kona kaikoʻeke ʻo Kalani Kapuāiwa i ʻEulopa me ʻAmelika i mea e hoʻonā ai ke kaumaha luʻuluʻu o ke kuini. Iā ia ma Lākana, Beretania Nui, ua hōʻuluʻulu i kālā a ua kūʻai i palapala kūkulu no ka hoʻomaka ʻana i hale pule ʻAnekalikana ma Hawaiʻi, kapa ʻia ka Luakini o Hawaiʻi.
ʻO nā hale a ʻEmalani i noho ai, ʻo Hānaiakamalama wale nō i koe ma Oʻahu. Aia kekahi hale ma Lāwaʻi, Kauaʻi e kū nei. Akā ʻo ka haukapila a me ka hale pule ʻAnekalikana (ʻEpikopalia i kēia manawa), he mau hale a Kuini ʻEmalani i kūkulu ai no ka lāhui a ke mau nei nō.
