Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles pay glowing tribute to Rawlings

The nation mourned Ghana’s first president of the Fourth Republic, Flt Lt. Jerry John Rawlings who was buried at the Military Hospital in Accra after a four-day funeral rite ceremony was held in his honour.

Tributes and messages came from the world over as he was finally buried on Wednesday, January 27, 2021.

Among the many tributes, included messages from the Royal Family of Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom.

Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II and her son, the Prince of Wales, His Highness Prince Charles, shared touching tributes in honour of the departed former president of Ghana.

“I was saddened to hear about the death of H.E Jerry John Rawlings, the former President of Ghana in 1999 and our many discussions at Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings,” parts of her tribute read.

He made an invaluable contribution to the creation of the current constitution and returning Ghana to democracy in 1992. I wish to convey, my condolences to his family and to the people of Ghana,” Queen Elizabeth concluded.

On his part, Prince Charles recounted how a young Flight Lieutenant Rawlings of the Ghana Air Force escorted his aeroplane as it landed in 1977, during his first visit to Ghana.

His letter, dated November 16, 2020, was sent, four days after the passing of the former president of Ghana.

Read the letter of His Royal Highness Prince Charles on the demise of Flt Lt Jerry John Rawlings below:

“My wife and I were so very sad to learn of the death of His Excellency former President Jerry John Rawlings. Knowing what a towering figure former President Rawlings was in Ghanaian public life, and how greatly he was respected for laying the foundations of Ghana’s now proud democratic traditions. I can well imagine how keenly his loss will be felt by so many people. For my part, I have such special memories of having met former President Rawlings on my visits to Ghana, most recently in 2018, when we had the opportunity to recall fondly how, in 1977, it was a young Flight Lieutenant Rawlings of the Ghana Air Force who escorted my aeroplane as I landed in Ghana for the first time.

As Ghana mourns the passing of former President Rawlings, my wife joins me in sending our heartfelt condolences to his family, to yourself and to all the people of Ghana.”