Word: bokassa
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...Emperor Bokassa's $20 million coronation [Dec. 19] was an insult to the black man's pride. This extravaganza staged in the poor country of Central Africa is not to be criticized for its lavishness. It lifts the hearts and eyes of millions of depressed people. It gives them something to dream about and stories for their great-grandchildren...
...even Big Daddy can match Bokassa's lust for extravagance. No expense was spared to make sure that his coronation would be splendid in every way. Items...
...year-old firm of Guiselin, which embroidered Napoleon's uniforms, did up 13 outfits for Bokassa, including the 32-lb. coronation robe with its 785,000 pearls, 1,220,000 crystal beads and train. Total cost...
...royal crown was fashioned by Paris Jeweler Arthus Bertrand, who topped it with a 138-carat C.A.E. diamond. The crown alone cost $2 million; Bokassa's scepter and Catherine's diadem upped the jewelry bill to $5 million...
...coronation cost about $20 million, which was a bit much for a country whose annual gross domestic product (mostly from diamonds, cotton and timber) is only $250 million. Kenya's Sunday Nation wrote sarcastically about Bokassa's "clowning glory." Zambia's Daily Mail deplored the new Emperor's "obnoxious excesses." Bokassa was unfazed by such criticism, since he knows full well that others will end up paying for his little ceremony. The Emperor will accept aid money from anyone, and currently receives it from South Africa, China and the Soviet Union. The bulk of the largesse...