I am grateful to Atkinson descendant Pippa Smith for passing on to me a memoir from her grandmother, Marjorie Whitehead (née Gibbons), who was grand-daughter in turn of Alatau Atkinson. Marjorie’s three-page note sets out all she knew about the visit of Edward, Prince of Wales, to the home of her uncle Robert Witlam Atkinson in Pearl Harbor in April 1920.

Marjorie recalls that she and her mother were visiting Hawaii from their home in England when the Prince arrived on the islands on his way to Australia. She was at the ball at the Armory mentioned in the previous article, from where she was whisked away to Robert Atkinson’s house. “But what an unexpected scene met our eyes! Beside the big kamani tree near the house a Hawaiian feast had been laid on the ground and near the gate an entrancing smell was coming from the ‘imu‘ (underground oven) where the pig was being roasted whole, by means of hot stones inside. The tables only a few inches off the floor were decorated and covered with leaves, there were bowls of beautiful fruit and places laid for about thirty guests”.

Robert Atkinson’s house in Pearl Harbor, built entirely from local materials.

A small grass hut had been built in the garden where a Hawaiian band, singers and hula dancers were waiting for the Prince to arrive. When he did so he was sat at the head of the table with the two princesses from the Hawaiian Royal Family. The entertainment began and soon after Marjorie was presented to Prince Edward: “I had been deputed to show the Prince the swimming pool and offer him a dip, but this he refused, so I took him over to the two princesses and went to see what fate had in store for me, as the pig had been taken out of the oven and the meal about to begin.”

All too soon the evening was over, with the guests singing Aloha Oe to the Prince as he departed. “What an evening it had been, never to be forgotten and a happy memory for all time!” wrote Marjorie, who passed away in November 1986, aged 90.

Atkinson descendant Paul Dahlquist has sent me a remarkable press cutting about a visit of Edward, Prince of Wales – later King Edward VIII – to Hawaii in April 1920. The cutting reports on a visit by the Prince to the Pearl Harbor home of Robert Witlam Atkinson, grandson of Thomas and Lucy, who was a property developer and civil engineer. Robert built a beautiful house close to the golf course at Pearl Harbor, using local materials and stone. It was sold after his death, but is still standing.

The cutting reports that the Prince was anxious to experience an entertainment in true Hawaiian style and so the Atkinsons threw open their home, to arrange a luau for the Royal visitor. They were assisted by Princesses Kalanianaole and Kawanakoa, who procured all the traditional decorations, such tabu sticks, kahilis, etc.

The Prince arrived at the house following a ball at the Armory and as he stepped out of his car old Hawaiian chants were sung and the prince entered the house under a double arch of kahilis held by the princess’ retainers. Low tables were set under a kamani tree and the prince was introduced to the Atkinsons and Robert’s brother ‘Jack’ Atkinson. Fifty further guests from prominent Hawaiian families made up the party. A massive imu – underground oven – was opened under the light of kukui nut torches and against a background of ancient Hawaiian chants.

According to the press clipping: “The sacred ground was drawn around the prince as he sat at the luau with old golden tabu posts, and as he ate he watched in a setting of banana and cocoa palms, the Hawaiian dancers as they stepped to the steady beat, beat of the gourd shaker. The seed dance, the bamboo dance, the old royal hulas, all were given for the benefit of this, their royal visitor.”

The prince clearly enjoyed his visit to Hawaii. In April 2012 a signed photo of him emerged surfing on Waikiki Beach in Oahu. British Pathé also has a short film of him surfing in a large canoe at the same place, which you can find here.

The royal surf picture was taken by a descendant of Duke Kahanamoku, who gave Edward – later to become King Edward VIII before abdicating to marry American Wallis Simpson – a few surf lessons.

Edward visited the Hawaiian islands along with Earl Mountbatten, future Admiral of the Fleet, in HMS Renown and the two men enjoyed a three-day surf trip. The photo was purchased by the Musem of British Surfing at Braunton in in Devon as it is considered the earliest known photo of a Briton standing on a wave.

In July 1920 the prince ordered the royal yacht to go back to Hawaii so he could surf for three days. Reports say Edward loved surfing. He spent two hours surfing every morning and three hours every afternoon during their July stay.