In his final moments of power, the autocrat clung to threadbare rituals of democracy. But the true legacy of his rule lay on the hungry, bullet-riddled streets outside.
Encircled by rebels and under intense international pressure, Mr Charles Taylor finally stepped down as president of Liberia and fled into exile yesterday, sparking fresh hopes for an end to years of bloodshed and chaos.
The former warlord handed power to his deputy, Mr Moses Blah, during a long ceremony in the "parlour", a gaudy hall of velvet curtains and chandeliers in Monrovia's executive mansion.
Dressed in his trademark white suit and seated on a plush throne, Mr Taylor painted himself as the martyred victim of foreign foes.
"I want to be the sacrificial lamb," he said using the rhetoric of a preacher. "If Charles Taylor is the problem, I will be out of here in the twinkle of an eye."
But he admitted that his departure could help bring peace. "Today for me is a day of moving forward. We must now put the past behind us," he said.
Moments later Mr Taylor sped towards the airport where, waving a white handkerchief and accompanied by his wife, Jewel, he boarded a plane for Nigeria. The effects of his departure were felt almost immediately on the streets outside.
Three US warships sailed past the city's rubbish-strewn beaches, causing joyful residents to flood on to the streets, and exciting hopes of an imminent American troop deployment.
Nigerian peacekeepers fanned out across the battle-scarred city centre, seizing control of checkpoints usually manned by Taylor's unruly fighters.
And across the bridge in rebel-held territory, a senior official said he felt Mr Taylor's departure meant "the war was over".
"Once he leaves Liberia today we are not going to fight. The suffering of Liberians is over," said Mr Sekou Fofana of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD).
The rebels also said they would withdraw from the city port in favour of the west African peacekeeping force, which should allow vital humanitarian supplies to arrive. Rumours circulated that US troops would be deployed, perhaps as early as today, to help the African mission secure the port. An embassy spokesman refused to comment.
News of Mr Taylor's departure filtered slowly on to the streets, where many residents found it hard to believe he had really gone. Others said they were reassured by the US show of presence.
"As long as they are here things will be all right. At least the suffering will be over," said university student Ms Josephine Mbayo as she watched the US warships steam past.
In his first words as president, Mr Blah challenged the rebels, who control three-quarters of Liberia, to talk. "You have no further excuse not to join the peace wagon," he said.
Despite the euphoria, peace is still not certain in Liberia. The rebels have gone back on their word many times before.
There were also jitters about how Mr Taylor's rag-tag teenage fighters, who took part in some last-minute looting of city stores during the morning, would react to his departure.