1886-89 2c Hawaii, carmine, engraved, imperforate

  Known as Alexander Lunalilo, King Kamehameha IV had bouts of drunkenness.  In one of these episodes, he shot a man in the chest at close range.  He suspected the man of having an affair with his beloved Queen Emma.  After it became apparent to him that the two were innocent, he felt remorse over his behavior.  He had thoughts of abdicating the throne.  His advisors would not hear of it, and he was never prosecuted in any way for his behavior.

This handsome king supported British influence in the islands.  In his youth, he took a trip with his older brother, later to become Kamehameha V.  He toured the U.S. and England, and was most impressed with England.  While in the U.S., he and his brother had been mistaken for Negroes.  As a result of this visit, the king had an immense dislike for the American institution of slavery.  The king married Emma, who came from both English and Hawaiian descent.