KANEDJO, A QUEEN NAMED HORTENSE

Their reigns have faded but their legacy lives on

An episode from the series THE FORGOTTEN QUEENS

Synopsis

In the heart of the Isle of Pines, in New Caledonia, the young Kanedjo Vendegou, nicknamed "Queen Hortense", became a traditional chief at the age of 7 in 1856 and faced a century of colonial upheaval.

She played a crucial role in defending her island against French expansion and succeeded in preventing it from becoming a penal colony.

Today's accounts reveal a visionary sovereign, long overlooked, who was a figure of resistance, hospitality, and diplomacy.