Remembering Asantehemaa: When Nana Konadu Yiadom III Joined Asantehene for Cake

Though Asanteman mourns the passing of Nana Konadu Yiadom III, memories of her grace, warmth, and devotion to the Kingdom continue to surface.

One cherished moment unfolded on May 6, 2025, when the late Asantehemaa made a rare royal visit to the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to mark his 75th birthday.

Accompanied by an entourage of royals, courtiers, and traditional authorities, she arrived at the Manhyia Palace in regal splendour to honour the occasion. The Asantehene, dressed in a crisp white kaftan with polished black shoes, welcomed her warmly as they shared light-hearted conversation and laughter.

The celebration reached a touching peak when Lady Julia, wife of the King, brought in a birthday cake. Together, the Queen and Lady Julia joined the Asantehene in cutting the cake, while guests sang joyously and offered heartfelt prayers for the King’s life and reign.

Courtiers added to the atmosphere with a stirring traditional tribute in honour of the Asantehene’s leadership. Though the day was marked with solemn dignity rather than grand festivities, the presence of the Queen Mother brought an unmistakable warmth to the moment.

Now, with Nana Konadu Yiadom III gone, that day stands out as one of the many times she visibly embodied her role as the spiritual and cultural mother of Asanteman, standing by the Asantehene in moments of joy as well as tradition.

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One-week observation

The Manhyia Palace has scheduled Thursday, August 21, 2025, for the one-week observation of the late Nana Konadu Yiadom III, the Asantehemaa and sister of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

The date was confirmed by the Asantehene on August 11, 2025, during a meeting of the Asanteman Council, where chiefs and elders were formally informed of her passing.

About Asantehemaa

Born in 1927 at the Benyaade Shrine in Meredane, a small town in Kwadaso, Kumasi, Nana Konadu Yiadom III was the first daughter of Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II and Opanin Kofi Fofie. Entrusted to her aunt, Nana Afia Konadu, while still an infant, she grew up in Ashanti New Town, Kumasi, receiving a rich informal education that instilled discipline, cultural knowledge, and life skills.

As a teenager, she underwent traditional puberty rites alongside her niece, Nana Abena Ansa, and later married Opanin Kwame Boateng, a blacksmith from Aduman in Kumasi. She was known for her humility, compassion, and sense of fairness, traits that earned her respect across Asanteman.

In the mid-1990s, a prophecy foretold her future as Queen, a prediction fulfilled when she ascended the Nyarko Kusiamoah and Konadu Yiadom Stool on February 6, 2017, becoming the fourteenth Asantehemaa.

Her reign was marked by advocacy for maternal health, promotion of breastfeeding, and support for hospitals, as well as initiatives to preserve peace and unity in the Kingdom.

Story by Adwoa S. Danso