Emperor of Central Africa

Emperor of Central Africa
Empereur de Centrafrique
Imperial
Imperial Standard of the Emperor
Details
Style	His Imperial Majesty
First monarch	Bokassa I
Last monarch	Bokassa I
Formation	4 December 1976
Abolition	21 September 1979
Residence	Renaissance Palace, Bangui

Emperor of Central Africa (French: Empereur de Centrafrique) was the title used by Jean-Bédel Bokassa from 4 December 1976, and was crowned on 4 December 1977 in a lavish ceremony that was estimated to cost the Central African Empire US$20 million (equivalent to $85 million in 2020). Although nominally a constitutional monarch, in practice Bokassa ruled with absolute power. For all intents and purposes, the country was still a military dictatorship, as had been the case with the Central African Republic since Bokassa took power in the 1966 coup d'état.

Bokassa I attempted to justify his actions by claiming that creating a monarchy would help Central Africa "stand out" from the rest of the continent, and earn the world's respect. The coronation consumed one third of the nation's annual budget and all of the French aid that year, but despite generous invitations, no foreign leaders attended the event. Many thought Bokassa was insane, and compared his egotistical extravagance with his contemporary – Africa's other well-known eccentric dictator, President of Uganda Idi Amin.

Gallery[]

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  Imperial Crown of Bokassa I.

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  Imperial Standard of Bokassa I.

See also[]

• History of the Central African Republic
• List of heads of state of the Central African Republic

References[]

• Lentz, Harris M. (1994), Heads of States and Governments: A Worldwide Encyclopedia of Over 2,300 Leaders, 1945 through 1992, Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, ISBN 0-89950-926-6, OCLC 30075961.