He was hānai to (adopted by) his maternal grandfather High Chief Aikanaka. He attended the Royal School, founded in 1839 to westernize the Hawaiian royal children, run by American missionaries Amos Starr Cooke and Juliette Montague Cooke. His sister Lydia Kamakaeha and his brother David Kalākaua also attended the school. He was declared eligible to succeed the throne with the approval of the Privy Council by the orders of King Kamehameha III. He was once found in the room of Emma Rooke and severely punished by Cooke. Emma was not punished because her schoolmate Elizabeth Kekaʻaniau may have been with Emma and others. Emma was nine years old at the time and would one day marry Kamehameha IV.