He was born October 2, 1924, to Abigail Kawānanakoa and her first husband, Andrew Anderson Lambert, in San Francisco, California.

[1] He was named after his great-uncle Prince Edward Abnel Keliʻiahonui who died at a young age.

As one of several heirs to the estate of his great-grandfather James Campbell, he often donated to community charities.

While in California, he joined the Army Air Corps and served as a pilot in World War II.

He rejected an appointment to the United States Military Academy and instead obtained a degree from the University of Southern California.