Prince of Wales coming to Ghana

The Prince of Wales, who is the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and heir apparent to the British throne, is set to visit Ghana on 2 November 2018.

Prince Charles is expected to be accompanied by his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, who are both embarking on a tour of Africa to deepen the British Monarch’s historical ties with its former colonies, including Ghana.

Prince Charles, who he has been Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay since 1952, first visited Ghana in March 1977 to attend the Golden Jubilee of Achimota School, formerly ‘The Prince of Wales College,’ and a durbar in his honour in Kumasi by His Majesty Otumfuo Nana Opoku Ware II.

A statement from Clarence House, which is the official residence of the Prince of Wales, said “their Royal Highnesses’ visit, which is at the request and on behalf of the British Government, will celebrate the U.K.’s dynamic, forward-looking partnerships with these Commonwealth Nations on a range of shared priorities.”

“The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall will visit Ghana from 2-6 November 2018. This visit will highlight the UK’s warm and enduring relationship with Ghana and the breadth of our dynamic contemporary partnership and our shared values. On arrival in Accra, Their Royal Highnesses will be welcomed at Jubilee House by His Excellency President Nana Akufo-Addo and Her Excellency First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo.”

State banquet

The statement said “they will attend a State Banquet organised by the Presidency in their honour, celebrating the ties between the UK and Ghana. It will be attended by senior dignitaries, a number of British Ghanaians, as well as prominent figures from business, arts, culture and media.”

According to the statement, “The Prince will also attend a meeting with Ghanaian and International business leaders to discuss sustainable practices in Ghana’s cocoa industry and key environmental issues. His Royal Highness will visit the Christiansborg Castle, once a Danish and then British, slave fort, which was until a few years ago the seat of Ghana’s Government after independence, to discuss the future restoration and reuse of the area, as part of a major redevelopment of Accra’s waterfront, conceived by the Ghanaian Government with the architect Sir David Adjaye.”

Manhyia visit

“Their Royal Highnesses will visit Kumasi to meet His Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Ashantehene at the Manhyia palace. The Prince and The Duchess will attend a traditional durbar or procession at the palace with the Ashantehene and local chiefs.”

The Duchess, who is President of the Women of the World Festival, will also attend an event for Ghanaian women in leadership positions.

The Women of the World festival (WOW) is a global festival movement founded by Jude Kelly CBE in London in 2010 to celebrate women and girls and look at the obstacles that stop them from achieving their potential.

The WOW event in Ghana will include a roundtable discussion with influential Ghanaian women.

Commemorative event

Their Royal Highnesses will take part in a commemorative event to acknowledge the sacrifices made by Ghanaian soldiers during the First and Second World Wars, and in more recent times during international peacekeeping missions.

This is the second visit to Ghana for The Prince of Wales and the first for The Duchess of Cornwall.

Ahead of this visit the statement quoted President Akufo-Addo as saying “I welcome The Prince of Wales very warmly back to Ghana, a country he knows well. He is an old friend of our country, and we look forward to receiving him, as his visit will renew and strengthen the bonds of friendship between the United Kingdom and Ghana.”

British High Commissioner, Iain Walker was also quoted as saying “their Royal Highnesses visit to Ghana comes at an opportune moment. The UK and Ghana’s shared history and common values form the basis of our enduring friendship. But it’s the many and varied links between our people’s which make our ties so unique. This visit allows us to celebrate all that is good about our ties. And importantly to focus on shaping the common future we each want to create. This is a once in a generation visit by the heir to the throne; one that I am confident will endure in the hearts and minds of us all.”