Kamehameha IV is the descendant of Kamehameha I, the founder of the Kingdom of Hawaii. The statue in front of him is Kamehameha I. Kamehameha IV ordered the building of the palace, which he had intended to use as his palace. When the building was completed in 1874 after his death, it was used as the headquarters of the Hawaiian government and the seat of the Legislative Council and the Supreme Court.