For the 4th time, Ooni of Ife married another beautiful damsel, Queen Ronke Ademiluyi who is the latest Queen at the Ooni’s Palace now. The beautiful lady who has got a better part of Ooni’s heart has always been a Queen. The Ooni of Ife bestowed on her a very iconic and biggest female title in Ife, Queen Moremi Ajasoro even before he married her.
Let us also quickly tell you that Queen Ronke Ademiluyi and Ooni has always been an item together long before Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi became Ooni in 2015, this shows that they have been together for over 10 years.
There are so many instances that have underlined the close knit relationship Ooni of Ife has with Ronke over the years because they were very much involved in each other.
Ronke has always been a recurring decimal in Ooni’s life and recall, when Ooni was about to be crowned King and traditionally, he must showcase a wife during the coronation, there was this news all over the place that Princess Ronke is about to be considered for such role owing to the fact that Ooni and his first wife before he became the king, Olori Olubukola had gone their separate ways years before Ooni’s kingship was announced in 2015. From the information gathered, City People learnt ,unfortunately Princess Ronke Ademiluyi could not also be made the Queen then because she has a daughter but not for Ooni which tradition forbids.
Queen Ronke Ademiluyi is a thorough bred fashion expert and has been in the fashion business for 21 years. Ever since she started African Fashion Week in London, Ooni has been the major force in her life. Because of the blue blood in her, having been the great grand daughter of late Ooni of Ife, HRM, Ooni Ajagun Ademiluyi’s daughter, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi gave her some rare priviledges he will naturally not accord anyone such as first, she is the organiser of the yearly beauty peagant, Queen Moremi Ajasoro, she is also the Vice Chairman of House of Oduduwa Foundation, the official charity organisation of the imperial majesty. When she launched the Adire Odudua Textile hub in Ile Ife in March 2021, tt was under the chairmanship and sponsorship of his Imperial Majesty, The Ooni of Ife. She also launched a book months back,, “Oba Obinrin”, Ooni was a permanent feature in the launch of that book. Anytime of the year that African Fashion Week in London holds, Ooni must be in London, the Nigeria edition has also featured Ooni of Ife times without number. To further cement how close they are,,Queen Ronke Ademiluyi remains the only person in Ooni’s life who has been priviledged to have been given the opportunity to officially brand one of his expensive cars, a Bentley with Adire to further propagate the launch of her Adire a Textile Hub in Ile Ife, and also made her the real Queen Moremi Ajasoro who Ooni respected so much and now, to put the Icing on the cake, she has been bestowed with a great title, Queen in Ooni’s kingdom. Who is Ronke Ademiluyi? Let’s quickly tell you about this pretty, brainy and latest Queen of Ile-Ife who has captured Ooni’s heart as the 5th Queen.
Ronke Ademiluyi is royalty born to a scion of the royal family of Ile-Ife. She is the founder of Africa Fashion Week London (AFWL) now UK’s largest annual fashion event that promotes and nurtures African and African-inspired design talent.
As an Ile-Ife blue blood, she is the great-granddaughter of late Ooni Ajagun Ademiluyi, King of the Ife Kingdom in South West Nigeria & the biggest tribe in Africa. She is a law graduate of West London University, who went ahead In 2011 to become the founder of Africa Fashion Week London. Her Africa Fashion Week London has showcased over 1000 designers and exhibitors from Africa and the global diaspora to over 70,000 visitors and represented designers from 27 African countries and a further 20 African-inspired designers from countries outside the African Continent, including France, Holland, USA, Brazil, China, the Caribbean, and, of course, the United Kingdom. In 2014 she set up a sister platform in Nigeria, Africa Fashion Week Nigeria to enable her to reach out to young African designers from all over the continent who can’t afford the logistics of traveling to London to showcase.
In 2017 she was made the global Ambassador to the Queen Moremi Legacy and she co-founded the QMA international initiative alongside His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, The King of Ife Kingdom.The initiative campaigns for the rights of women and girls in Nigeria and Africa.
In 2020 she founded the Sarah Forbes Bonetta a not-for-profit company aimed at supporting the education of less privileged girls in Nigeria and Africa.She has produced over 20 fashion shows including the Mayor of London’s Africa on the Square event during every Black History Month in London, and for over 10 years, she has consistently employed over 50 BAME catwalk models every year to work with her.
She produced The AFWL Business Fashion Forum, with special guest speakers that included the Mayor of London’s Office, Department of Trade South Africa and The V&A Museum.
She is the co-founder of Fashion Future Online Courses in partnership with Henleys Business School UK & Parsons Design School New York. She set up the AFWL Mentoring scheme for Black fashion students in the UK in partnership with Northampton University in The UK.
She is the co-author of The African fashion book The Eyes of Originality & Creativity. She is the producer of the documentary Ingenious fabrics of Nigeria.
Her Africa Fashion Week Nigeria partnered with Afronolly Creative Hub To Style MTN Y’ello Star, the largest mobile-based music reality show, where over 10,000 contestants compete to be the next Nigerian music star.
She is the creator and producer of Queen Moremi, The Musical theater drama that has been watched by over 30,000 people. She set up a QMA fund that educates and empowers young ladies in Nigeria and Africa. She is the founder of the QMA leadership academy for young women.
Thoroughly born and bred in London, she came home in 2001 to open a fashion boutique known as Rukkies, which was a one stop shop for all fashion needs at that time. The big time entrepreneur who also has soft spot for Ooni has revealed many things about how Ooni has always been part of all she does. During the launch of her book and being Vice-Chairman, House of Oduduwa Foundation, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi said: “There was even a notion that a female cannot be a king in Yoruba land. But as we have all seen today, under the stable of his imperial majesty, and the house of Oduduwa, which is the official charity of his imperial majesty, the Ooni of Ife, we have been able to complete and publish the book. We have decided to tell these stories to inspire other young women to go into leadership roles”.
I wear so many hats. I am the founder of Africa Fashion week, London, Founder Africa Fashion Week Nigeria. I am His Majesty’s Global Ambassador for Queen Moremi Initiative. I am also the CEO and founder of the Adire Odudua Textile hub which is under the chairmanship of His Majesty. I set up the Adire Oodua Textile hub in 2021 as a Covid bounce back facility for women and unemployed youth. Our sole benefactor is Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II of Ife Kingdom, the custodian of Yoruba cultures and traditions”.
She is the publisher of the book, The Authentic Story of The Legendary Queen Moremi being used as part of the curriculum for history & literature in secondary schools in Nigeria.
She is the author of the book, MAN, Maltreated Abused & Neglected having supported victims of modern-day slavery and trafficking a cause close to her heart. That is the world of Queen Aderonke Ademiluyi.
-TAYO OYEDIJI
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