Pith Helmet of a Cadet of the Royal Guard of Ranavalona III, Queen of Madagascar dated between 1869-1917 on display at the
Musée de l’Armée in Paris
Ranavalona III was the last monarch of the Kingdom of Madagascar and tried to hold off Imperial French colonial forces by strengthening the Kingdom’s ties with the United States and Great Britain. During the Franco-Hova wars
Ranavalona was forced to sign away control of her Kingdom to the Second French Empire and she, and her government, became ceremonial figureheads. However the unpopular French colonial forces faced rebellion from Madagascar’s people and after a year of fighting French government exiled
Ranavalona and her court lest they became figureheads for a new rebellion.
Though much of her reign involved war with France, she was a strong supporter for education, especially for women. At her coronation she broke with tradition and instead of the Royal Guard she had students from her capital’s best schools, both girls and boys, in attendance.
Photographs taken by myself