The Royal Order of Kapiʻolani (Kapiʻolani e Hoʻokanaka) was instituted on August 30, 1880, by King Kalākaua to recognize services in the cause of humanity, for merit in Science and the Arts, or for special services rendered to the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi.

He named the Order in honor of his ancestor High Chiefess Kapiʻolani the Great, an early exponent of Christianity in the Hawaiian Islands.

The grand cordon is yellow, bordered by narrow stripes of the colors the Hawaiian flag: white, red and dark-blue.

The Officer and Companion cross use an identical badge to that of the Commander, albeit markedly smaller in size.

[4] Dr. Charles M. Newell, of Boston wrote several romantic novels about the Hawaiian Islands in the late 19th century, including Kalani of Oahu (1881), Kamehameha the Conquering King (1885) and The Voyage of the Fleetwing (1886) and The Isle of Palms (1888).

[6] The Saint Marianne of Molokaʻi (born Maria Anna Barbara Koob) was awarded the Companion on November 9, 1885, for her work in Hawaiian hospitals and the Hansens Disease (Leprosy) settlement of Kalaupapa.

[7] Dr. Eduard Arning, British-German bacteriologist, was awarded the Companion in 1886 for research in Hansens Disease.