He married two sisters, Litia (Lydia) Samanunu and Salote (Charlotte) Qalirea Kaunilotuna (daughters of the Roko Tui Bau).

[1] Mary Wallis provided a description of him after meeting with him on 7 December 1844: "He is tall, rather good looking, appears fully aware of his consequence, and is not destitute of dignity.

He wore an enormous quantity of hair on his head and several yards of native cloth around his body..." [3] Seru was given the name Cikinovu ("Centipede"),[2] "because he moved silently and struck painfully".

Having converted to Christianity, on the battlefield he pardoned all the captives; in accordance with pagan Fijian customs, the defeated men would have been ceremonially humiliated, killed and eaten.

On 8 May 1865,[7] a Confederacy of Independent Kingdoms of Viti was established (comprising Bau, Bua, Cakaudrove, Lakeba, Macuata, Naduri), with Cakobau as Chairman of the General Assembly.

He gave his war club to Queen Victoria on 10 October 1874 when the Deed of Cession by which the sovereignty of Fiji passed to the British Crown was signed.

Unable to pay the debt caused by the Rewan Chiefs, and fearing an American invasion and annexation, Cakobau decided to cede the islands to the United Kingdom.

A number of other political figures are also descendants of Cakobau, including Roko Tupou Draunidalo, former President of the National Federation Party and a former Member of Parliament.