Prince David Klaren Laʻamea Kaumualiʻi Kawānanakoa
March 7, 1952 – May 1, 2025
By Ian Kealiʻi Custino
E kapu ē! E kapu! E lohe a e ʻike! With great humility and aloha, we announce the passing of Prince David Klaren Laʻamea Kaumualiʻi Kawānanakoa, a high-born descendant of Hawaiʻi’s sacred aliʻi lineage. Prince David passed peacefully on the afternoon of May 1, 2025 at his home in Mānoa, Oʻahu, surrounded by his ʻohana.
Prince David Klaren Laʻamea Kaumualiʻi Kawānanakoa was born on March 7, 1952 in Carmel, California. He spent his early years between Hawaiʻi and Carmel developing a deep love and appreciation for both his Hawaiian heritage and the vast open road of the California coast. He was an adventurous spirit who loved motorcycles and was always generous with his time – particularly in his kuleana for Hawaiʻi and its people.
Prince David was the son of the late Prince Edward Abnel Keliʻiahonui Kawānanakoa, Sr., and the late Lila de Clark Whitaker Kawānanakoa. He was the nephew of the late Princess Abigail Kinoiki Kawānanakoa who passed in December 2022.
Prince David was named for his great-grandfather, HRH Prince David Laʻamea Kahalepouli Kinoiki Kawānanakoa, elder brother of Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Piʻikoi, who were both designated crown princes and heirs to the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1883 by his Majesty King David Laʻamea Kalākaua. He was also named for his fourth great-grandfather, King Kaumualiʻi, the last sovereign ruler of the islands of Kauaʻi and Niʻihau before the unification of the Hawaiian Islands by King Kamehameha I in 1810.
Prince David was a humble and unwavering guardian of Hawaiʻi’s royal heritage, upholding the traditions, dignity, and memory of our beloved aliʻi. He carried his kuleana with strength, humility, and grace. He honored his legacy through his steadfast commitment to his family, faith, and tradition.
Prince David served as ikū hōʻano (vice-regent) for Hale O Nā Aliʻi O Hawaiʻi, a sacred order devoted to the preservation and advancement of Native Hawaiian knowledge and values. First established as Hale Nauā by King David Kalākaua, it was reestablished in 1918 by Prince David’s great-grandmother, Princess Abigail Wahiīkaʻahuʻula, consort to HRH Prince David Kawānanakoa.
His brother, Prince Quentin Kawānanakoa serves as ikū lani hōʻano (regent) and recounts, “my brother David held a deep aloha for our heritage and remained a steadfast guardian of our familyʻs legacy. His presence in our lives was quiet but powerful – a reminder of where we come from and the kuleana we carry forward.”
Prince David was an active member of the Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club. He took particular interest in building and decorating the civic club’s floats for the annual Kūhiō Parade. “He was very kind, always very giving, and just pleasant to be around,” recalled renowned vocalist Marlene Sai, a past pelekikena (president) and lifetime member of Prince Kūhiō Hawaiian Civic Club.
The Kawānanakoa family held private memorial services for Prince David on the evening of May 16. A public service was held at St. Augustine by-the-sea Church in Waikīkī on May 17.
Hale O Nā Aliʻi O Hawaiʻi extends its deep respect, profound sadness, and heartfelt aloha to the Royal House of Kawānanakoa and the loved ones of our beloved Prince David Klaren Laʻamea Kaumualiʻi Kawānanakoa.
Donations in memory of Prince David may be made to support Queen’s Head & Neck Institute at the Queen’s Medical Center c/o Queen’s Philanthrophy, P.O. Box 3445, Honolulu, HI 96801 or by calling (808) 691-4688. Checks can be made payable to “Queen’s Medical Center.”
Ian Kealiʻi Custino is the ikū kūʻauhau (historian) for Hālau Wahiīkaʻahuʻula, Hale O Nā Aliʻi O Hawaiʻi.
