In1888, Hawaii was teetering on the brink of civil unrest. The tide had turned against the long-incumbent royal family, under the malevolent influence of a rebel party. Within months, the palace was overthrown, and the royals exiled. Among them was the beautiful Princess Kaiulani. Scarcely 13 years old, she was separated from her family and sent to Victorian England. Kaiulani underwent a harsh and testing education that equipped her with a sense of honor, duty and pride. Emerging from her childhood, Kaiulani realized she had to bring an end to the injustices suffered by her people and set to sail for America, to meet President Grover Cleveland, to prove that she and her people were not the "barbarians" portrayed by the American press.