Asantehemaa’s body lies in state

The body of late Asantehemaa, Nana Afia Serwaa Kobi Ampem, is to lie in state starting today, Monday, 16 January till her burial on Thursday, as part of final funeral rites being organised in her honour by Asanteman.

All the chiefs and traditional leaders in Asanteman will today, Monday, 16 January, pay their last respects to the longest-serving queenmother who died in November last year at 109 years.

The Asantehemaa’s 4-day funeral ceremony started at Midnight of Sunday at the Manhyia Palace.

The late mother of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will be buried on Thursday.

On Monday, after the filing past by the traditional leaders and chiefs, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II himself will file past his mother's body and later receive consolations from well-wishers.

Many more traditional leaders outside Asanteman will also file past the Asantehemaa’s body on Tuesday and Wednesday. President Nana Akufo-Addo as well as former Presidents, Ministers, Government officials and other dignitaries are also scheduled to file past the queen mother’s body on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, dignitaries from African countries such as Swaziland, Seychelles, Là Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and others will also file past the body.

At 11:00 am on Thursday, the queen mother’s body will be taken to St. Cyprians Anglican Church for a Burial Mass.