Madagascar's Last Queen: Ranavalona III in Exile

After the Franco-Hova Wars, Madagascar's last sovereign, Queen Ranavalona III, was exiled to Réunion and later Algeria. This episode traces her journey from Antananarivo's Rova palace to a villa in Algiers, where she lived under French surveillance with her adopted daughter and a small retinue. We explore the political calculations behind her removal, the international protests it sparked, and the quiet dignity with which she maintained Merina royal traditions abroad. Drawing on letters from her exile and accounts from French colonial officials, we uncover how Ranavalona III became a symbol of Malagasy resistance while navigating life as a deposed monarch. The episode also examines her efforts to reclaim her kingdom through diplomacy—including a petition to the League of Nations—and the French refusal to let her return. Her death in 1917 and the eventual repatriation of her remains in 1938 close a chapter on Madagascar's monarchy that continues to resonate in the island's national identity. #RanavalonaIII #MadagascarHistory #ExiledQueen #MerinaKingdom #FrenchColonialism #Antananarivo #Rova #RUnion #Algiers #LeagueOfNations #Monarchy #AfricanHistory #ColonialExile #MalagasyResistance #FexingoHistory #History #EastAfrica #QueenInExile #Madagascar #Austeronesia Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo