AHC: African Pope or monarch of European country

How could an individual of ≥50% Sub-Saharan African heritage become the ruler of a European country or be the Pope?

Bonus points if the POD is after 1200.

Bonus points if the ruler or pope reigns before 1900. Extra if before 1850.

Bonus points if the whole royal family is of Sub-Saharan African heritage.

Bonus points the country does not have a Mediterranean coastline, or if it does yet its center of power is in Northern Europe.

Bonus points if the ruler is fully of Sub-Saharan African heritage and has no European ancestors.
 
Last edited:
I'm drawing a blank on how you could achieve this, but perhaps something to do with the Kingdom of Kongo. iirc the Congolese and the Dutch briefly had an alliance which had essentially driven the Portuguese out of Angola before the king who had signed off on such died (of poison, again iirc) and his successor took a more conciliatory role towards their fellow Catholics.

If Kongo is included in Christendom instead of being seen as a Portuguese-converted protectorate, regarded as a great power, and not used as a target for slavers than you're a step closer at least.

The Congolese royals regularly sent their sons to study either as priests or statecraft in the European capitols for quite some time, its possible you could get some royal marriages and down the line a joint European X (likely French or Spanish)-Congolese empire.
 
If you can find a way for the moors to keep Spain then you might have someone of African descent on a European throne.
 

scholar

Banned
The third/fourth son in line to a European throne marries a Christian native. This son served in the front lines of the age of exploration and colonization. Eventually he comes back to said homeland and a series of unfortunate events leads to having him be King. His son/Daughter becomes a monarch. This fits the criteria.
 
Since you didn't add a "before year X"...

I assume you're aware that one of the papal candidates last time around
was (and is) Nigerian?

All it takes for an individual of ≥50% Sub-Saharan African heritage to
become Pope is for one of the Sub-Saharan African cardinals to be
elected.
No idea when the first Sub-Saharan African cardinal appeared.


On a different track, I vaguely recall an Ugandan king promising to get rid of his 100+ wives and convert if he could marry one of Queen Victoria's
daughters.
 
There have been three African Popes: Victor I, Miltiades I and Gelasius I.

Victor was Pope from 189 to 199 and born near modern day Tripoli in Roman Africa. Not much is known about him other than he changed the language of the Church from Greek to Latin, which was the language spoken in his homeland. He also fought against the Adoptionism heresy.

Miltiades was elected following a long period of sede vacante. He was a Berber, but little else is known about his personal history. He was Pope when Constantine converted and was given the Lateran Palace as a gift.

Gelasius is the last Pope of African descent and born inland in modern day Tunisia. He had a short reign from 492 to 496 but had a very active Papacy. He was a prolific writer and frequently butted heads with the Eastern Roman Emperor, setting the stage for increased tensions between the East and West. He also formed the model that would be used by later Popes for asserting Papal supremacy.
 
There have been three African Popes: Victor I, Miltiades I and Gelasius I.

Victor was Pope from 189 to 199 and born near modern day Tripoli in Roman Africa. Not much is known about him other than he changed the language of the Church from Greek to Latin, which was the language spoken in his homeland. He also fought against the Adoptionism heresy.

Miltiades was elected following a long period of sede vacante. He was a Berber, but little else is known about his personal history. He was Pope when Constantine converted and was given the Lateran Palace as a gift.

Gelasius is the last Pope of African descent and born inland in modern day Tunisia. He had a short reign from 492 to 496 but had a very active Papacy. He was a prolific writer and frequently butted heads with the Eastern Roman Emperor, setting the stage for increased tensions between the East and West. He also formed the model that would be used by later Popes for asserting Papal supremacy.
Not Sub-Saharan though.
 
What about a successful Christian crusade into North Africa, establishing a Christian kingdom in Morocco and such? Put Henry the Navigator or some other Iberian prince on the throne, cue several generations of intermarriage between crusaders and natives, eventually seeping through into the royal line, which also intermittenly intermarries with European princesses....all you need then is for somebody (with already some Berber/native lineage) to marry a full out sub-saharan and produce dark complexioned heirs for Christendom.

Also, Alessandro de Medici's mother was black, wasn't she? Perhaps if a greater ruler than his father took a slave woman for mistresses, and later on their issue was lucky enough to pursue a successful ecclesiastical or political career, you have your goal.
 
I think for most things, the answer is "stronger, more lethal Black Plagues,"

Weaken Europe, let North Africa rise to global prominence, eventually throw in African colonization of South Africa...

Nevermind. I think it's ASB. :p
 
I suspect there is a theoretical possibility. It should be possible for a Nubian priest to rise to bishop, probably in Egypt? (Probably happened at least once) The chances of such a guy getting elected pope is vanishingly small, but not ASB.
 
God Save the King!
Idi I of Scots.


general-idi-amin-dada.jpg
 
-There are no Arab conquests into Northern Africa, so Northern Africa remains Christian.
-There is more trade between Sub-Saharan Africa and Northern Africa
-A Sub-Saharan person is captured in slavery by slave traders in Sub-Saharan Africa. He is transported to Northern Africa and sold in Carthage. There he converts to Christianity. After a long time of serving, his master releases him.
-He marries. His child is 50% sub-Saharan and decides to become priest, but in the end, he manages to become Pope.
 
Say Alexander II of Russia survives the assassination attempt in 1881 and outlives his son Alexander III. His reforms succeed and are taken much further by his successors. With Russia a limited monarchy, perhaps one of Nicholas II's successors might change the House Laws forbidding unequal marriage and a Romanov descendent marries a Pushkin. The heir would be a little bit subsaharan African. I don't get any bonus points but there would be some genetic material there that came from Africa.
 
Have Nzinga (Dona Ana de Sousa) have a bit better timing during her war with the Portuguese (1629-1651). The Portuguese were at war with the Dutch at the same time, so all it takes is slightly better timing to get them to hastily recognize her as a sovereign monarch in order to save their colonies; maybe she demands some sort of exchange with Lisbon to promote greater ties. A Catholic Kingdom of Matamba (Angola) will produce cardinals soon enough, and one of them will eventually seem a fine compromise instead of the endless European wrangling.

Matamba endured into the early 20th century anyway, it shouldn't be that hard to strengthen it a bit.
 

Vitruvius

Donor
I think there's some potential in the Kongo related PODs a couple of people have mentioned. The area became Catholic (albeit somewhat syncretic) at an early date and it had contacts with Roman as evidenced by Manuel Antonio Nsaku ne Vunda (who has a terrific black marble bust above his burial place in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, a very literal interpretation) and Kongo's attempts to establish direct relations with the Papacy. Perhaps if he had lived longer rather than dying shortly after his arrival in Rome.

So if it and the Catholic Church flourished I could see Cardinals from the Kongo, then you just need an exceptionally holy and wise Cardinal from the Kongo, so much so that the Europeans can overlook the unorthodox nature of his candidacy. Perhaps he could be a compromise candidate the way Basilios Bessarion was nearly elected in 1455.
 
Top