Kamehameha IV vs King Idris I of Libya

Alexander Liholiho became King Kamehameha IV at age 20 after the death of his uncle Kamehameha III. He inherited a kingdom facing increasing pressure from American and European interests.

Kamehameha IV resisted efforts to sign a reciprocity treaty with the United States that would have reduced tariffs on Hawaiian sugar. He feared it would lead to American political influence and eventual annexation.

Kamehameha IV and his wife Queen Emma founded Queen's Hospital (now The Queen's Medical Center) in Honolulu to provide healthcare for Native Hawaiians. The hospital was funded by public subscriptions and royal donations.

Kamehameha IV, with Queen Emma, invited the Church of England to establish a mission in Hawaii. He helped found the Anglican Church of Hawaii, which became the Hawaiian Reformed Catholic Church, as a counterbalance to American Protestant influence.

Kamehameha IV died at age 29 from chronic asthma, a condition that had plagued him for years. His death left the throne to his younger brother, who became Kamehameha V.

Idris I became King of the newly independent United Kingdom of Libya, ending Italian colonial rule. He led the country as a constitutional monarch, with a federal system uniting Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and Fezzan.

Major oil reserves were discovered in Libya, transforming the country's economy. Idris's government negotiated favorable terms with Western oil companies, generating substantial revenue that funded infrastructure and social programs.

Libya under Idris provided diplomatic and financial support to Arab states during the Six-Day War against Israel. However, Idris's cautious stance and refusal to commit troops angered Arab nationalists and military officers, contributing to the 1969 coup.

Muammar Gaddafi and a group of military officers overthrew King Idris I in a bloodless coup while he was undergoing medical treatment in Turkey. Idris was deposed and went into exile in Egypt, where he died in 1983.