play videoQueen Elizabeth with Kwame Nkrumah and JJ Rawlings
Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was perhaps the most powerful global leader at least in terms of the territories that she had under her jurisdiction.
It would not be out of place, therefore, to state that she was thus, one of the most widely travelled leaders.
The British monarchy kept a close relationship with countries they previously
Members of the Royal family travelled widely to among other things keep that bond firmly in place whiles engaging in humanitarian activities and cultural exchanges.
It is a big deal when a leading member of the Royal family is visiting but more so when the Queen was visiting. Ghana had the pleasure of hosting Queen Elizabeth on two occasions since independence in 1957.
Nkrumah hosts the Queen in historic visit
As a former British colony, Elizabeth II was Queen of Ghana from 1957 to 1960, when Ghana became an independent sovereign state.
Queen Elizabeth II first visited the Republic of Ghana from 9 to 20 November 1961.
During her 1961 visit, the Queen famously danced with Ghana's President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah at a farewell ball in Accra.
The dance, many scholars believe, was a symbolic moment in the history of the Commonwealth.
Despite bombings in the capital and fears that Ghana was getting too close to the Soviet Union, the Queen insisted on this tour to make sure that Ghana did not leave the Commonwealth.
The Second Coming: The Rawlingses welcome the Queen
For a three-day period, from 7 to 9 November 1999, the Queen was in Ghana for an official visit.
This was 38 years after her first and it was meant with pomp and pageantry as the state under President Jerry John Rawlings put in place elaborate preparations to receive the Queen.
Part of the symbolism that came with the trip according to experts was that it was also to shore up Ghana's democratic credentials as the country headed into crucial elections in 2000.
JJ Rawlings was had been in power for close to two decades but was not eligible to run after his final four-year mandate was running out.
It must be noted that other members of the Royal Family have made different high-level visits with one of the most recent being that of Prince Charles and his wife Camilla in 2018.
Queen Elizabeth dies
The world's longest-serving leader, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, was pronounced dead on Thursday, September 8, 2022, via a statement from the royal family.
Born on April 21, 1926, the Queen, christened Elizabeth Alexandra Mary, immediately acceded the British throne on February 6, 1952, when her father, King George VI died.
She became queen at the age of 26 and remained on the throne for seven decades before her death.
Elizabeth II was Queen of the United Kingdom and Head of State for 14 other jurisdictions.
Queen Elizabeth's eldest son Charles, 73, has been named successor and by that become the king of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other realms including Australia, Canada and New Zealand. His wife Camilla becomes Queen Consort.
