Asantehene narrates the route to kingship: “My mother said she wouldn’t have given birth to me.”
Asantehene narrates the route to kingship: “My mother said she wouldn’t have given birth to me.” The Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has a remarkable story about how he became king, revealing that he was unaware of his royal ancestry until fate called him to the throne.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, celebrating his silver jubilee as the sovereign monarch of Ashanti territory, described the complex manoeuvres made to keep him unaware of his regal destiny and to ensure that he was raised away from the Manhyia Palace’s corridors of power.
During his 74th birthday Thanksgiving service, the monarch made a stunning revelation: he revealed that his mother had openly stated that she did not want to have him born because of marital discord caused by accusations of infidelity against his father. His mother was only able to stay thanks to the involvement of his late uncle, Asantehene Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II.
My mother informed me that she would not have given birth to me in the slightest. Following the birth of my sister, who I am named after, my mother wanted to end their marriage because she believed my dad was a womanizer. “She informed me that my uncle, Osei Agyemang Prempeh, the Asantehene at the time, told her that he desired something from her and would not let her go,” the Asantehene narrates.
Through a complex plan hatched with family members, Osei Tutu Agyeman Prempeh II carefully protected the young prince from the ostentations of royalty, steering him away from the traditional line of succession. Notably, Otumfuo disclosed how his uncle had transferred him to Sefwi Wiawso Secondary School, where stern discipline was enforced under the watchful eye of a harsh instructor, instead of Prempeh College, his first choice.
After completing his secondary education, Otumfuo moved abroad to further his studies while living with his father’s family. During this time, the grand scheme of his accession to the throne began to take shape.
When Otumfuo reflected on his unusual childhood and the planned events that led to his coronation, he said, “It was after this that everything was brought to light, and I am where I am today.”
The disclosure of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s remarkable ascent to the throne illuminates the complexities and obscure stories that influence the future of royalty in the Ashanti region. The story of the Asantehene, whose silver jubilee is currently being celebrated, is a monument to the deep complexity of royal ancestry and the continuing heritage of tradition in Ghana’s diverse cultural terrain.
Credit: Pulse.gh
