Asantehene arrives in London for three-week visit

London (England) - The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II arrived in London Sunday at the head of a 20-man delegation of chiefs, linguists, and Manhyia palace officials to begin a three-week visit of the United Kingdom during which he will launch the Asanteman Education Fund.

The visit which is at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II of Britain will also take him Wales. He will have business meetings with heads of British companies including Guinness, Taylor Woodrow, Standard Chartered and Barclays Banks.

During his first week, the Otumfuo will be the special guest of the Queen who will receive him in private audience at the Buckingham Palace after which the two will have tea together. Otumfuo Osei Tutu will also meet the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The Asantehene who discarded his traditional 'ntma' or a suit was received at the London Heathrow airport by a delegation led by Mr J.E,K, Aggrey-Orleans, High Commissioner in Britain and Mr. Michael Forster, of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

He was then driven through the city of London to the Ghana High Commission where he was received to traditional pomp and pageantry by heads of the various Asante associations. Also present was Mr Paul Boateng, Minister of Home Affairs.

Mr Boateng whose father is a Ghanaian, described Otumfuo's visit as 'representing peace and tranquillity at a period when Africa is passing through difficult times" adding that "the visit the represents the very best that Africa could offer."

Other activities lined up for his visit include a visit to Cambridge to observe their special education policy at work, a dinner dance at which funds will be raised for the Education Fund, and a meeting of Ghanaians resident in the London.

The visit of the 50-year old Otumfuo, who ascended the Golden Stool last year, is his first outside Ghana and is seen as charting a new relationship between two people who at the beginning of the 20 century were antagonists.

The British who had colonised Ghana fought several wars with the Asantes who opposed their rule. The last war was the Yaa Asantewaa war in 1900 which the British won and exiled Yaa Asantewaa the Queenmother of Ejisu who taken up arms against them to prevent their annexing of the Golden Stool, the symbol of Asante unity and strength.