A new personal assistant selected by the Queen is set to become the first black equerry in British history.
Ghanaian-born Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah has been chosen for the role, one of the most important positions in the royal household.
The 38-year-old Afghanistan veteran, known as TA among friends, will start this year. His role as equerry is to support the monarch at official engagements such as regional visits and audiences at Buckingham Palace.
The Queen’s Equerry is an officer from one of the armed services, who takes on the role for three years. Major Twumasi-Ankrah moved to the UK from Ghana with his parents in 1982 and studied at Queen Mary University of London and the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst.
He became the first black British Army Officer to be commissioned into the Household Cavalry, and acted as escort commander for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.
The timing of his appointment is significant as the Duke of Edinburgh is to retire from his duties later this year. Twumasi-Ankrah is likely to become the most visible man by the Queen’s side.