Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah: The Ghanaian officer who was Queen Elizabeth’s first black assistant

Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne of the United Kingdom on February 6, 1952, at age 25 following the death of her father, King George VI.

She remained on the throne for seven decades.

Throughout her reign, she made several histories. On the Ghanaian front, she visited the country on two occasions- first in 1961 after Ghana had achieved Republican status.

According to the report, there were two principal reasons: the first was to stop Ghana from leaving the commonwealth, and secondly, to eschew the notion of racism particularly because America in 1961 was still denying Black people the right to vote.

The Queen was aware Nkrumah was getting closer to the Soviet Union, which wanted to expand its foothold in Africa amidst the Cold War, the British Heritage reports.

On her second visit to the country in 1999, the Queen subtly employed the late former President Jerry John Rawlings to hold a fair election to hand over power.

Another history the Queen made was becoming the first member of the royal family to appoint a black as an equerry in 2017.

Within the Queen’s ‘kitchen cabinet’ was Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, a Ghanaian-born who was her assistant. Prior to his appointment by the late Queen decided, The Times in a report said the monarch herself chose out of the lot suited for the position.

But who is Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah?

Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah is a veteran of the Afghanistan war. According to multiple reports on him, he moved from Ghana to the UK with his parents in 1982 and later studied at Queen Mary University of London and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Since then, he has forged an impeccable military career.

The Independent adds that he joined the Blues and Royals to become the first black British Army officer commissioned into the Household Cavalry and acted as escort commander for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.

In the same year 2011, Twumasi-Ankrah commanded the Blues and Royals taking part in the Queen’s birthday parade.

As an equerry, Major Twumasi-Ankrah – known as “TA” to his friends – acted as one of the Queen’s most-trusted attendants, assisting her with official engagements and welcoming high-profile guests to royal residences, The Independent reports.

Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah

The role was created for someone to look after the cavalry’s horses, but in modern times an equerry is expected to be publicly visible as an aide at the Queen’s side.

The appointment was said to be important at the time when the Duke of Edinburgh, late Prince Philip was set to retire from public life.

He took over the role from Wing Commander Sam Fletcher and served between 2017-2020.

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Major Twumasi-Ankrah, according to royaluk.com, lives in London with his wife, Joanna Hanna-Grindall.