Paulet affair

Provisional Cession of the
Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands
25 February – 31 July 1843
Anthem: God Save the Queen
Location of the Hawaiian islands.
StatusUnrecognized and unapproved dependency of the United Kingdom
CapitalHonolulu
Common languagesEnglish, Hawaiian
GovernmentUnofficial military occupation and British colony
Monarch 
• 1843
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

The Paulet affair, also known as British Hawaii, was the insubordinate five-month occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom in 1843 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.