Lola Oladunjoye On How Her Family History Influenced Her Jewellery Line – Without Her Even ...

My parents are from Nigeria's south-western Yoruba region and were among the first wave of Commonwealth citizens to boldly head to the motherland or "Ilu-Oba", which in Yoruba means "The Queen's Country" Opportunity met need in an off-the-books programme that brought revenue into the borough and afforded my parents their first home in England: 39 Prothero Road, Fulham SW6 By the time I was born, a few years later, they had become solid west Londoners.

Even as a new immigrant identity began to take form, we remained firmly rooted in Yoruba culture As we were ushered through the gates, I remember being secretly disappointed at the lack of grandeur and overall dustiness of the grounds, but savvy enough not to share this thought with my mother "That's Glass House.

It's where the Ooni's wives live." Wives? I took this information on board silently but later learned that they numbered 12.Soon, we were ushered into the reception room by the emeses, the palace wards, where we knelt before the Ooni, heads bowed In hushed, urgent tones, I asked my mother whether this was the phone the Ooni used to call the Queen to schedule tea My mother suppressed a laugh as she rolled her eyes and whispered "Eh? So, you believed that? Come on, your Daddy was joking, silly!" I started to respond but she cut me a look that let me know I was chattering too much for her liking and that my continued inquisitive staring around the room was behaviour unbecoming of a princess, even one on her first visit to her ancestral palace. Source