Queen Máxima of the Netherlands left Kumasi with a special gift. During her visit to Manhyia Palace on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Lady Julia Osei Tutu, wife of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, presented her with a colourful kente cloth, according to a report by YEN.com.gh.
Videos from the palace showed the Queen wearing the blue-and-green kente draped around her shoulders over an orange patterned skirt, while Lady Julia wore a patterned dress, YEN.com.gh reports. The two women exchanged smiles and spoke in a beautifully decorated room.
The clips were shared by Opemsuo Radio and Manhyia Palace accounts on social media.
Queen Máxima also held a closed-door meeting at the palace with senior traditional rulers of the Asante Kingdom, according to a separate YEN.com.gh report. Those named included Nana Effah Apenteng, Bompatahene; Nana Kwame Baffoe, Nkoranzahene; Nana Darkowaa Ampem, Yamfohemaa; Nana Adwoa Por Dwamena, Bechemhemaa; and Oheneni Akyaamaa III, described as the traditional mother of the Asantehene. Several other paramount chiefs and queen mothers also attended.
In a statement on X, Manhyia Palace said the closed-door meeting was used "to empower the traditional authorities" to champion policies and services that support their people's financial resilience and wellbeing.
The reports did not include any specific agreements or direct quotes from the Queen.
Queen Máxima is visiting Ghana from November 3 to 5 in her role as the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health. Her programme focuses on integrating financial health into government policy, improving access to finance for agriculture, developing services that help people budget and save, and making long-term investment more accessible to households.
Her schedule includes meetings with President John Dramani Mahama, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson and Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama.
Kente, the hand-woven cloth closely associated with the Asante and Ewe peoples, is one of Ghana's most famous cultural symbols. Its colours and patterns carry meaning, and presenting kente to a guest is a mark of honour and respect.
Kente has also been in the spotlight internationally this month, with an exhibition titled "Woven Meanings" at the All-Russian Museum of Decorative Arts in Moscow, which President Mahama visited during the Russia-Africa Summit.
The visit adds to a string of high-profile international guests at Manhyia Palace this year. Last month, French luxury designer Christian Louboutin attended the Akwasidae festival and discussed the possibility of opening a luxury outlet in Kumasi with Lady Julia.
Lady Julia Osei Tutu has become an increasingly visible figure in Ghanaian public life, hosting international guests, supporting charitable causes and promoting Asante culture at home and abroad. Earlier this year, she and her children paid homage to the Asantehene at the 2026 Akwasidae Kese celebrations in Maryland, in the United States, YEN.com.gh reports.
Traditional rulers have strong influence in their communities, and development experts increasingly see them as important partners in spreading financial education and encouraging saving and investment. Involving chiefs and queen mothers could help financial services reach people who are less likely to trust formal institutions.
Videos and photos of the meeting between a European queen and the Asante royal household were widely shared online, showing the Queen wearing the kente during the visit. The images were a reminder of the Asante Kingdom's long tradition of receiving foreign dignitaries with ceremony and generosity.
Attention now turns to the Queen's meetings with national leaders in Accra and whether her visit leads to new initiatives on financial health in Ghana.
