44 Facts About Ranavalona III

Ranavalona III ruled from 30 July 1883 to 28 February 1897 in a reign marked by ultimately futile efforts to resist the colonial designs of the government of France.

Ranavalona III tried to stave off colonization by strengthening trade and diplomatic relations with foreign powers throughout her reign, but French attacks on coastal port towns and an assault on the capital city of Antananarivo led to the capture of the royal palace in 1895, ending the sovereignty and political autonomy of the centuries-old kingdom.

Rainilaiarivony died that same year, and Ranavalona III was relocated to a villa in Algiers, along with several members of her family.

Ranavalona III was never permitted to return home to Madagascar despite her repeated requests.

Ranavalona III died of an embolism at her villa in Algiers in 1917 at age 55.

Ranavalona III's remains were buried in Algiers but were disinterred 21 years later and shipped to Madagascar, where they were placed within the tomb of Queen Rasoherina on the grounds of the Rova of Antananarivo.

Ranavalona III, daughter of Andriantsimianatra and his wife and cousin, Princess Raketaka was born Princess Razafindrahety on 22 November 1861, at Amparibe, a rural village in the district of Manjakazafy outside Antananarivo.

Ranavalona III's parents assigned the care of the infant Razafindrahety to a slave who served the family.

Ranavalona III was described as an industrious and inquisitive child with a strong love of studying the Bible, learning and reading, and she developed affectionate relationships with her teachers.

Ranavalona III continued her education throughout her adolescence at the Congregational School of Ambatonakanga, the Friends High School for Girls, and the LMS Girls' Central School.

Ranavalona III was baptized as a Protestant at Ambohimanga on 5 April 1874.

Ranavalona III's husband died several years later on 8 May 1883, aged 22, leaving Razafindrahety a premature widow.

Ranavalona III was proclaimed queen upon the death of her predecessor, Queen Ranavalona II, on 13 July 1883, and moved into Tsarahafatra, a wooden house on the grounds of the royal Rova complex in Antananarivo.

Ranavalona III chose to break with tradition by supplementing the customary retinue of soldiers at her ceremony with a group of 500 male and 400 female pupils from the capital's best schools.

Ranavalona III was crowned wearing a white silk gown with a red train featuring embroidery and gold embellishments.

Ranavalona III appears quite timid and she presides well at the solemn functions of her court.

Ranavalona III was frequently called upon to deliver formal speeches to the public on behalf of Rainilaiarivony and would make appearances to inaugurate new public buildings, such as a hospital at Isoavinandriana and a girls' school at Ambodin'Andohalo.

Ranavalona III's older sister, Rasendranoro, whose son Rakatomena and daughter Razafinandriamanitra lived with their mother at the Rova, was a close companion.

An American journalist who visited her palace reported that Ranavalona III spent much of her leisure time flying kites or playing lotto, a parlor game, with her relatives and other ladies at court.

Ranavalona III enjoyed knitting, needlework and crocheting and would frequently bring her latest craft project to work on at cabinet meetings.

Ranavalona III had a great love of fine garments and was the only Malagasy sovereign to import the majority of her clothing from Paris rather than London.

Ranavalona III invited to Madagascar French stage magician Marius Cazeneuve to perform at her court.

Attacks along the northern coast were ongoing at the time Ranavalona III was crowned in the summer of 1883.

Ranavalona III signed a treaty granting further concessions to the French on 12 December 1887.

For three days the Malagasy army managed to hold the French troops at the periphery of the city, but upon French bombardment of the Rova palace compound with heavy artillery, Ranavalona III agreed to surrender control of her kingdom to the French.

Shortly after Rainilaiarivony's exile, Ranavalona III was approached by a French official who informed her that a new prime minister would need to be selected.

Ranavalona III was only allowed to receive visitors who had obtained prior authorization from Gallieni himself.

Ranavalona III gave birth to a girl on her second day in Reunion, but could not recover her strength and died five days later.

Ranavalona III was reportedly pleased with the two-story house, which had a large walled garden and featured a peaked roof and wrap-around veranda reminiscent of the traditional highland homes of Madagascar.

At the queen's villa in Algiers, Ranavalona III was provided with servants and a French female attendant who kept her under observation and remained present whenever the queen entertained guests in her home.

Ranavalona III tasked a servant with selling some of her jewelry for cash, but the plan was discovered by the French colonial authorities and the servant was discharged and sent back to Madagascar.

Ranavalona III cut a great figure on the boulevards, and was immensely popular, but she spent so much money and ran up such enormous bills that the Colonial office became alarmed and promptly shipped her back to Algiers.

Ranavalona III was regularly invited to parties, outings and cultural events and often hosted events of her own.

Ranavalona III was widely received by high society with courtesy and admiration and was offered many gifts including a costly gown.

Ranavalona III's visits were generally accompanied by much media fanfare and the queen's popularity among the French public grew to the extent that she was featured on the box of Petit Beurre biscuits in 1916.

Again due to pressure from sympathetic French citizens, Ranavalona III's pension was further raised to 50,000 francs per annum.

From August to September 1910, Ranavalona III would visit Paris, Nantes, La Baule and Saint-Nazaire and was repeatedly the target of undesired attention from press photographers.

Ranavalona III died without ever having returned to Madagascar, after two formal requests in 1910 and 1912 were refused on the pretext of insufficient funds in the colonial coffers.

In June 1925, eight years after the queen's death, the Governor-General of Algeria informed the Governor-General of Madagascar by letter that payments for the maintenance of Ranavalona III's tomb were in default.

Ranavalona III urged the colonial government in Madagascar to provide funds for the upkeep of the dilapidated tomb, emphasizing that such neglect was unworthy of the queen's memory and the government of France alike.

In November 1938, Ranavalona III's remains were exhumed and re-interred in the tomb of Queen Rasoherina at the Rova of Antananarivo in Madagascar.

The lamba-wrapped remains of Ranavalona III were the only ones that could be saved from the flames.

An archive of fashion, photographs and letters telling the story of Ranavalona III was bought at auction by the island's government in 2020, having been discovered in an attic in Guildford, Surrey.

The objects will go on display alongside Ranavalona III's recently repatriated royal dias in the restored Queen's palace in Madagascar.