Queen Máxima is swapping the palaces of The Hague for the farms, markets and royal courts of West Africa. After a few quiet weeks away from the international spotlight, the Dutch queen will be landing in Ghana next Monday. One appointment on her schedule stands out: a courtesy call on Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu II, king of the Ashanti.
© Getty ImagesThat moment is scheduled for Wednesday. Queen Maxima will be traveling to Kumasi, the heartland of the Ashanti people, to be received by the king and his wife, Lady Julia Osei Tutu.
The day ends with a roundtable on financial health with several Ashanti chiefs.
Ghana is a republic, but it has kept some of its traditional monarchies alive; few carry the prestige of this one. The Asantehene, as the Ashanti king is known, isn’t a head of state. He does, however, hold significant cultural and traditional authority over the Ashanti, a major ethnic group in central Ghana, especially in and around Kumasi. He’s the 16th king to sit on the Golden Stool, the sacred symbol of Ashanti identity and power.
Before taking the throne in 1999, he studied and worked abroad, including in London, and he has since championed projects in education, health and economic development. His wife, Lady Julia, is a lawyer specializing in international law who’s involved in a range of educational and charitable causes.
A UN mission, not a royal tour
© Patrick van KatwijkFor all the regal pageantry, Máxima isn’t traveling in her royal capacity. She’s going as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health. Her trip is built around four priorities: embedding financial health in government policy, financing the agricultural sector, financial-service innovations that make everyday tasks like budgeting and saving easier, and affordable long-term investments for households.
Ghana makes for a fitting stage. It’s a continental leader in financial inclusion, with more than 80 percent of adults holding a payment account along with access to loans, savings products, and insurance. Access alone isn’t enough, though. According to a 2021 FinScope study, only 22 percent of Ghanaian adults are financially healthy, while 44 percent are getting by and 34 percent are financially vulnerable.
Máxima’s case is for financial products, services and policies that give people control over their day-to-day finances, protecting them from unexpected expenses and helping them invest in a better life. The ultimate goal is to give them confidence in their financial situation.
From the farm to the marketplace
© Patrick van KatwijkHer schedule is packed with activities. On her first full day, she'll start the day in the Upper West Akim district, where she’ll tour a farm and a factory that turns a variety of fruits into dried products, chatting with farmers and workers along the way. Back in Accra, she’ll visit a hospital to speak with health professionals and patients about an app that lets doctors monitor hypertension and diabetes remotely.
On Wednesday morning, before heading to Kumasi, she’ll sit down with investors to discuss financial health as a starting point for investment strategies.
Máxima’s final day in Ghana will be devoted to the country’s leadership. At the Ministry of Finance, she’ll meet with Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson and Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku. At the Bank of Ghana, she’ll talk with Governor Johnson Pandit Asiama before heading to the Jubilee House to meet with Ghana’s president, John Mahama.
© GrosbyGroup/ANP
