Otumfuo Leads Mourners in Solemn ‘Doteyie’ for Late Asantehemaa at Manhyia Palace
On September 15, 2025, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II led a somber procession at Manhyia Palace in Kumasi for the ‘Doteyie’ funeral rites of his late sister, Asantehemaa Nana Konadu Yiadom III, who passed away earlier this year.
The revered queen mother, enstooled in 2017 and born in 1927, was honored with a kingdom-wide ban on other funerals, reflecting her profound significance to Asanteman.
Dressed in black ‘kuntunkuni’ cloth and chewing a cola nut to signify mourning, Otumfuo arrived at the Bogyawe grounds in a palanquin, accompanied by musket fire, burning palm fronds, and executioners smeared with red clay, embodying Asante tradition.
A sea of mourners, including paramount chiefs, clan leaders, and subjects, gathered to pay their respects, joined by dignitaries like former President John Agyekum Kufuor, whose entrance drew loud applause.
The event saw Otumfuo receive delegations from political parties, clergy, telecom firms, and state institutions, shaking hands with hundreds in accordance with Asante custom.
Security personnel struggled to manage the surging crowd, eager to glimpse the Asantehene and honor the Asantehemaa, whose 2017 enstoolment followed a 40-year reign by her predecessor.
The rites showcased Asante’s rich cultural heritage, with chiefs in splendid black attire and rituals like the Sumankwahene’s delegates warding off rain, as reported on social media. The event underscored Nana Konadu Yiadom III’s legacy as a unifying figure in the Asante Kingdom.
