In August 1881, David Kalākaua stayed with us, sovereign of the then independent Kingdom of Hawaii, which the Spanish press still called the Kingdom of the Sandwich Islands.
Kalākaua was undertaking an extraordinary 285-day journey that made him the first monarch in history to travel around the world. He crossed Asia, the Near East, Europe and the United States with the aim of establishing diplomatic relations, studying the progress of other nations and seeking new immigration agreements for his kingdom.
His first arrival in Madrid took place on 17 August 1881. Before entering the capital he stopped for a few hours at El Escorial, whose tapestries particularly caught his attention. Once installed at the Hotel de la Paz, he was visited by the civil governor and by Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, then President of the Council of Ministers. Kalākaua was carrying a decoration intended for Alfonso XII, which he handed to Sagasta as the royal family was not in Madrid. That same night he set off for Lisbon.
The king returned to the Hotel de la Paz at half past six in the morning on 24 August, accompanied by a minister of his government, his grand chamberlain, a colonel, a private secretary, his steward and a valet. During this second stay he visited the Museo del Prado, strolled through the Retiro and again met with representatives of the Spanish government. The following day he continued his journey to Paris and London.
Kalākaua would later be known as the Merrie Monarch for his support of music, dance and Hawaiian traditions. During his reign he promoted the construction of ʻIolani Palace, residence of the last sovereigns of Hawaii and a symbol of the independence of the old kingdom.
