Kamehameha IV was the fourth monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom, reigning from 1855 until his death in 1863. Born Alexander Liholiho in Honolulu, he was the son of High Chief Mataio Kekūanaōʻa and Princess Elizabeth Kīnaʻu. He was raised as the heir to his uncle, King Kamehameha III, following the early deaths of the king's biological sons. During his reign, he sought to bolster Hawaii's international standing by strengthening diplomatic and cultural ties with Great Britain to balance growing American influence in the islands.