Why Asante Royal Family Is Anglican Today

The Oyoko Abohyen Royal Family of the Asante Kingdom has, for generations, been affiliated with the Anglican Church.

This could be traced to Asantehene Prempeh I, who was exiled to the Seychelles Islands in 1896, where he spent 28 years.

In the course of his stay, he converted to Christianity and baptised.

Recounting the story to the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Sarah Mullally, during her visit to the Manhyia Palace on July 29, 2026, the 16th Monarch of the Asante Kingdom, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, said his granduncle inquired about joining the same church as the King of England at the time.

“He got baptised and asked which church the King of England attends, and he was told the Anglican Church; then he said that is where I am also going to be.”
On his return to Asanteman in 1924, he gave an order for all the royals to attend the Anglican Church.

“When he came back, he ordered that all members of the royal family be Anglicans. Some of them at the time were Catholics but turned to Anglicans.”

This story was told during a dinner organised as part of the reception for the guests.

The Archbishop was accompanied by her spouse, Eamonn Mullally, and the Primate of the Church of the Province of West Africa, Archbishop Dr Cyril Kobina Ben-Smith.

Dame Mullally is on a pastoral visit to Ghana and Cameroon from July 25 to August 4, 2026, at the invitation of the Primate of West Africa.

She is the third Archbishop of Canterbury to visit the Manhyia Palace.

Story by Hajara Fuseini

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