Paulet affair

Provisional Cession of the
Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands
25 February – 31 July 1843
Flag of Hawaii
Location of the Hawaiian islands.
Location of the Hawaiian islands.
StatusUnrecognized and unapproved dependency of the United Kingdom
CapitalHonolulu
Common languagesEnglish, Hawaiian
GovernmentMilitary occupation, British colony
Monarch 
• 1843
Queen Victoria
Local Representative 
• 1843
George Paulet
• 1843
Richard Thomas
Historical eraInternational relations
• Established
25 February 1843
• Disestablished
31 July 1843
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Kingdom of Hawaii
Kingdom of Hawaii
Lord George Paulet, instigator of the Paulet Affair

The Paulet affair, also known as British Hawaii, was the unofficial five-month 1843 occupation of the Hawaiian Islands by British naval officer Captain Lord George Paulet, of HMS Carysfort. It was ended by the arrival of American warships sent to defend Hawaii's independence. The British government in London did not authorize the move and it had no official status.