She is known for deft political maneuvering, a volcanic temper and a reputation for corruption.

She once punched a photographer in Hong Kong with a diamond-encrusted fist.

More recently, she was whisked out of South Africa to avoid arrest after a fashion model accused her of beating her with an electrical cord.

As Zimbabweans have been mired in poverty under President Robert Mugabe, Africa’s longest-serving leader, his wife, Grace, 52, became a target of anger over allegations that she siphoned profits from diamond mines and bought luxury palaces. She spent so much money on foreign trips that the European Union imposed sanctions on the Mugabes to stop them from sucking wealth out of the country.

The couple appear to have now fallen from power, as the military on Tuesday night took Mr. Mugabe, 93, the world’s oldest head of state, into custody. His wife’s whereabouts were not clear on Wednesday, but there were reports that she was in Namibia when the apparent coup unfolded.