King Kigeli Ⅴ Ndahindurwa of Rwanda lost his throne in 1961. He now lives in social housing in Oakton, Virginia, surviving on handouts from well-wishers. But he has a business sideline, too. The orders and titles of nobility he issues do not have anything as plebeian as a price tag. But the recipients (70-odd so far) are "asked for donations", according to his "secretary-general", Alex Montague, a financial adviser in Miami. Cash payments usually range from $1,000 to $8,000, he says. Goods or services will do. A portrait painter was rewarded with the title of baron in July. The royal dentist, who has done $30,000 of unpaid work, is under consideration for an honour. So is the king's tailor. Mr Montague is a hereditary marquis.
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