Ghana-born soldier is first black aide of the British monarch

Queen Elizabeth II has chosen a Ghanaian-born soldier in the British Army to be her next aide at the Buckingham Palace.

38-year-old Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah is the Queen’s new equerry after serving in Afghanistan and in the palace with the Household Cavalry regiment.

Great news of Major Twumasi-Ankrah’s appointment as the #Queen‘s Equerry. Congratulations Major TA! HCMRegt #windsor #britisharmy pic.twitter.com/pdyMxLqCjE

— WhereInWindsorUK (WhereInWindsor) July 10, 2017

The soldier moved from Ghana to the United Kingdom with his parents in 1982 and studied at the Queen Mary University of London and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, British media reported.

“I would have never imagined that one day I’d command the regiment which I’d fallen in love with … From what I’ve seen in the UK, our cultures really do mix and if I’m not a good example of that I really don’t know what is,” he told the Sunday Times.

Twumasi-Ankrah has never hidden his Ghanaian roots. He told the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in a 2011 documentary that his first work in the regiment and one of his best moment was when he escorted the Queen and Ghanaian President John Kufuor during a state visit in 2007.

Twumasi-Ankrah has among others served as escort commander at the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall’s wedding in 2011, as well as commanding the cavalry regiment at the Queen’s birthday parade.

Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah will serve for three years in the role starting at the end of the year.

As part of his responsibilities, he assists the Queen during her public duties and takes responsibility for the Queen’s horses, carriages and coaches among others.