Royal Order of Kamehameha I
The Royal Order of Kamehameha I was established on the 11th April 1865 by King Kamehameha V in memory of his grandfather King Kamehameha I and to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Kingdom of Hawai'i.
This Order was granted to recipients to confer honorary distinction upon both kanaka maoli (native Hawaiians) and foreigners who rendered the dynasty and its people important services.
Upon its inception, it became the first Knightly Order of the Kingdom of Hawai'i that was actually awarded and the most senior in rank of the five Royal Orders. (The Royal Order of the Cross and Crown had been established by King Kamehameha III in 1848 but was not awarded until much later.)
Knight Grand Cross with Collar (CGCOK) - limited to heads of state- Knight Grand Cross (KGCOK)
Knights Commander (KCOK)- Knights Companion (KOK)
During the time of the Kingdom, the 'Order of Kamehameha I' was awarded 57 times by King Kamehameha V and 82 times by King Kalakaua. The number of awards given during that time was:
- Knights Grand Cross - 40 recipients
- Knight Commander - 56 recipients
- Knight Companion - 43 recipients
Since 2016 H.R.H. Prince Darrick Ali'i Nui, Royal protector of the heritage and culture of the Kingdom of Hawai'i has awarded:
- Knights Grand Cross - 5 recipients
- Knight Commander - 1 recipient
Among those awarded with Knights Grand cross were:
- Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, Franz Joseph I (1865)
- King of Bavaria, Ludwig II (1865)
- King of Wurttemberg, Charles I (1865)
- Grand Duke Frederick of Baden (1865)
- Kings of Italy, Victor Emmanuel II (1865) and Umberto I (1878)
- German Emperor, King of Prussia, Wilhelm I (1876)
- German Crown Prince Frederick Wilhelm (1876)
- Emperor of Japan, Mutsuhito (1881)
- King of Siam, Rama V (1881)
- King of the Belgians, Leopold II (1881)
- King of Spain, Alfonso XII (1881)
- Emperor of Russia, Alexander III (1881)
- Queen of the United Kingdom, Victoria (1881)
- Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Abdul Hamid II (1881)
- King of Portugal, Luís I (1881)
- Emperor of China, Guangxu (1882)
- King of Serbia, Milan I (1883)
The Knights Grand Cross with Collar was awarded on two occasions, to Queen Victoria of Great Britain and to Emperor Meiji of Japan.
- H.M. Rukirabasaija Agutamba Solomon Gafabusa Iguru I, the Omukarma (King) of Bunyoro Kitara (2019)
- H.R.H. Raja Haji Irwan Tekaka Saosao of Laiwoi (2018)
- H.H. Nawab Syed Mohammed Kazim Ali Khan Sahib, Nawab of Rampur (2018)
- H.E. Col. Michael Thornley, Chancellor of the Royal House of Kamakahelei, Aide-de-camp for H.R.H. Prince Darrick of Hawai'i (2018)
- H.E. Viscount of Ayala, Cronista de Castilla-Leon, (2018)