At Iolani Palace, Princess Kaiulani and the rest of the royal family prepare for a ceremony that night to light Honolulu with only electricity. That night however the ceremony is interrupted when a large group of armed white men enter the palace grounds. Led by Lorrin Thurston, the men demand that Ka'iulani's uncle, King Kalakaua, sign a new constitution to restrict the power of the monarchy as well as to grant huge governmental powers to citizens of European ancestry. The situation soon devolves into a tense standoff between Thurston's men and the Royal Guards. Amidst the chaos of the moment Ka'iulani is taken away for her own safety by her Scottish father, Archie Cleghorn, and sent to England for both protection and education.