No, we are talking about the new personal assistant selected by Queen Elizabeth Ii: the first black equerry in British history.
Maj. Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, a 38-year-old officer who fought in the Afghanistan War, will fill one of the most important roles in the royal household, according to reports.
“I would have never imagined that one day I’d command the regiment which I’d fallen in love with,” Twumasi-Ankrah told the Sunday Times. “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.”
Twumasi-Ankrah—known as “T.A.” to his friends—will act as one of the queen’s most trusted attendants, assisting her with official engagements and welcoming high-profile guests to royal residences, a role that will be especially important now that 96-year-old Prince Philip is set to retire from public life this year.
The outlet reports that Twumasi-Ankrah moved to the United Kingdom from Ghana with his parents in 1982. He studied at Queen Mary University in London and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
He joined the Blues and Royals cavalry regiment of the British army, becoming the first black British army officer commissioned into the Household Cavalry, and acted as escort commander for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.