Queen Elizabeth Makes History (Again) With First Black Equerry
Photos: Getty; Courtesy.
Queen Elizabeth II’s been on the hunt for her latest equerry, an officer of the British Armed Forces that, historically, was in charge of her horses, but now serves as a de facto senior aide and assistant. And this weekend, The Sunday Times announced that the position has been filled by Ghanian-born Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, who will become the first black equerry for the British royal family in history.
It’s a big deal: the queen’s equerry often stands directly beside her at official engagements, making him one of, if not the, most visible of member her household. And with Prince Philip—the partner who stood by her for 70 or so years of royal duties—now retired, the equerry will need to be an important member the monarch’s support system and a most discreet confidante. Still not sure of how important it is? Peter Townsend—yes, the Peter Townsend who was a main character in The Crown—was King George VI’s equerry and became so close to the Windsors that he went on to date Princess Margaret.
There’s little doubt that Twumasi-Ankrah is up for this royal challenge. T.A., as he is known to his friends, is an Afghanistan War veteran and studied at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the same prestigious school Prince Harry and Prince William attended. Plus, he’s already exercised his royal chops: The first-generation immigrant was an escort commander at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding and was mesmerized by the Trooping the Colour as a child: “I would have never imagined that one day I’d command the regiment which I’d fallen in love with,” he said.
As racial tensions continue to reverberate painfully across Europe and America, the appointment of a black officer as Queen Elizabeth’s right-hand man is a powerful, progressive, and hopeful signal. Perhaps T.A. said it best: “From what I’ve seen in the U.K., our cultures really do mix and if I’m not a good example of that I really don’t know what is.”
This story originally appeared on Vogue.
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