A CORNISH heroine who challenged the British Empire has been honoured in spectacular style in South Africa, as hundreds gathered to recreate her state funeral 100 years after her death.

The remarkable ceremony paid tribute to Emily Hobhouse, the St Ive-born humanitarian who exposed the appalling conditions endured by women and children in British concentration camps during the Second Anglo-Boer War.

Around 650 people took part in the re-enactment at the National Women’s Monument in Bloemfontein on October 31, bringing a defining moment in South African history back to life.

Two hundred girls from Eunice and Oranje schools led the procession, dressed in white and carrying palm fronds. A small black casket, resting on a purple cushion, followed as choirs sang and mourners in gowns and mortarboards gathered to pay their respects.

A vintage Ford and riders on horseback added to the historic spectacle, while thousands more watched the tribute unfold.

The event was organised by the Emily100 team, based at The Story of Emily in St Ive, Cornwall. The immersive historical attraction, which opened in 2024, has been at the heart of efforts to mark the centenary and bring Hobhouse’s extraordinary story to a wider audience.

Born in Cornwall, Emily travelled alone to South Africa during the Second Anglo-Boer War, which lasted from 1899 to 1902. What she found in the camps shocked her. Women and children were living in appalling conditions, facing disease, hunger and suffering.

Emily refused to stay silent. Her campaigning exposed the reality of the camps and helped save the lives of thousands of women and children.

She spoke out at a time when patriotic feeling in Britain was running high and women had little public voice. Her challenge to the British Empire came at a personal cost: she was branded a traitor by the British Government and largely written out of the history books at home.

In South Africa, however, she is remembered as a national heroine.

The centenary re-enactment offered a powerful reminder of the scale of her courage and the lasting impact of her work. It also underlined the connection between Cornwall and South Africa, with the team behind the St Ive attraction helping to ensure her contribution is not forgotten.

The Story of Emily has already received national and international recognition. Earlier this year, it won silver at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence and also secured a THEA award, which recognises achievement in themed entertainment.

The attraction is continuing its programme of events, with a Victorian Christmas planned at St Ive as it looks ahead to further activities in 2027.

For the team, the Bloemfontein ceremony was the centrepiece of the Emily100 commemorations – and a fitting tribute to a woman whose determination to expose injustice made her a significant figure in South African history.

A century after her death, Emily’s story continues to resonate on both sides of the world. And, through the work of those bringing her history to life in Cornwall, the remarkable legacy of a woman who refused to look away is reaching a new generation and deserves to be remembered today.