Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, has paid a courtesy call on His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, at the Manhyia Palace.
The visit forms part of the Queen’s official engagements in Ghana, where she is promoting greater financial inclusion, economic resilience and improved financial well-being.
It is Queen Máxima’s second official visit to Ghana, following her first trip to the country in 2002, when she visited as Princess Máxima alongside her husband, then the Prince of Orange and now King of the Netherlands.
During her meeting with the Asantehene, Queen Máxima shared insights from her engagements with various groups and institutions across Ghana.
She briefed the Asantehene on her interactions with farmers, officials of the National Health Insurance Scheme, healthcare institutions and traders in local markets.
The discussions centred on efforts to ensure that individuals and communities have access to financial products and services that can improve their quality of life and strengthen their economic security.
In her role as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health, Queen Máxima champions financial systems that enable people to meet their everyday needs, prepare for unexpected financial difficulties and invest confidently in their future.
She believes that improving people’s financial health is essential to building stronger and more resilient communities.
Queen Máxima also used the occasion to acknowledge the Asantehene’s longstanding contribution to peace and stability in Ghana.
She commended Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for his role as a respected peacebuilder and influential traditional leader.
Beyond financial health, the meeting also provided an opportunity for the two leaders to exchange views on a range of national development issues, including governance, education, agriculture and the arts.
As a symbol of the visit, Queen Máxima presented the Asantehene with a decorative Delft Blue ceramic wall plate featuring an appliquéd design.
She also presented the revered Monarch with an autographed photograph of herself.
The Queen was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ghana, H.E. Jeroen Verheul.
Other members of the delegation were Peter McConaghy, Senior Advisor to the UNSGSA, Thys Hoekman, the Queen’s Private Secretary, and other senior officials.
The visit to the Manhyia Palace highlighted the importance of collaboration between traditional leadership and international partners in promoting inclusive development and improving the financial well-being of people and communities.
