Ships, a hospital, and guards make protection visible

The Hawaiian flag already carries the Union Jack, giving the proposed British relationship a visible precedent. A guarantee in the central Pacific would still need forces on the islands because a paper promise from distant Britain would do little by itself to deter interference. Keeping one warship continuously on station would usually require at least two ships so that one could relieve or replace the other. Their presence would make a naval hospital useful and demonstrate that Britain intended to stay. A small light-infantry detachment or, more plausibly, Royal Marines could guard the hospital and diplomatic mission. This limited footprint would turn the guarantee into a physical naval commitment without making Hawaii a major fortress.