Day One
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall arrived in Ghana on Friday to an incredible “Akwaaba”, or "Welcome" as they continue their Royal Tour.
The Prince and The Duchess were hosted at a Welcome Ceremony at Jubilee House where they met The President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the First Lady, Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
Their Royal Highnesses visited the Commonwealth War Graves and were joined by The Earl of Wessex who is visiting Ghana as part of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award.
Wreaths were laid by Their Royal Highnesses, The President and The First Lady. Her Royal Highness laid three posies to honour Commonwealth countries including Ghana.
Their Royal Highnesses went to a British High Commission reception - which celebrated the close relationship the UK has with Ghana but was also held in celebration of The Prince’s 70th birthday this month.
A big birthday cake was made for The Prince's birthday and guests sang to him as he cut it.
Day Two
On the second day in Ghana, The Prince of Wales visited Osu Castle - or Christiansborg Castle - in Accra.
Built in the 17th Century, Christiansborg Castle originally operated as a Danish slave trade fort. It is estimated that over 1.5 million African people were traded through Christiansborg Castle and that, overall, six million human beings were traded from West Africa.
His Royal Highness was guided around the castle by Samuel Acquaah, Head of Education, Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, and walked to the top of a spiral staircase, where captured African slaves were imprisoned before they were transported to the “new world” through the ‘Door of No Return’.
Following Ghana’s independence from Britain in 1957, Christiansborg Castle was renamed Government House. In 1960, Kwame Nkrumah was appointed the first President and Head of State, who resided there. The Prince of Wales and Her Majesty The Queen have both previously stayed here on visits in 1977 and 1961.
The Asantehene has a long standing relationship with the British Monarchy, having met The Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2000.
Their Royal Highnesses attended the Akwasidae Festival and Durbar hosted by the Asantehene.
The Prince visited a cocoa farm and planted a tree at the KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Tehnology), unveiling the Prince of Wales Park which has been created in his honour.
In March 2017 the Prince launched the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI). Under the CFI, 34 international chocolate and cocoa companies committed to ending deforestation caused by cocoa growing.
The Duchess also visited the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Tehnology (K.N.U.S.T.) Literacy and Essay Prize Event where Her Royal Highness joined a number of children’s reading circles.
Day Three
The Prince of Wales began the day by attending a church service with The President of Ghana at Accra Ridge Church. Following the service, The Prince met members of the congregation.
Next, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall visited the Manhiya Palace for a Durbar and Tea with the Asantehene.
Their Royal Highnesses were greeted by the Asantehene, King of the Ashanti, and his spouse, Lady Julia, before having a private meeting at the Palace.
His Royal Highness toured the Manhiya Palace Museum and heard about key moments from the Ashanti and British History, and Their Royal Highnesses greeted Chiefs and religious leaders before taking their seats on the parade ground for the Durbar and cultural display.
The Asantehene has a long-standing relationship with the British Monarchy, having met Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2000, The Prince of Wales in Glasgow where they both received honorary degrees, and The Earl of Wessex during his visit to Kumasi with The Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme in 2016.
The Prince of Wales then visited New Kumasi Market, the single largest market in West Africa.
The market is due to undergo a restoration which has been designed to provide a safer and more secure covered shopping area. The Prince heard about the plans for the new market which will house 30,000 traders and cater for 1,000,000 shoppers every day.
Next, The Prince of Wales toured a Cocoa Farm and learned about the history of the cocoa industry in Ghana. Accompanied by the farm’s owner, Mr. Agyin Brefo, His Royal Highness was able to taste cocoa and see a number of different production and post-production stages.
The Duchess of Cornwall, meanwhile, visited the National Cultural Centre in Kumasi, the home of local arts and craft making. The aim of the centre was to collect, preserve and restore artefacts of historical and ethnographical importance.
Her Royal Highness viewed several activities including pottery, a Kente weaving workshop, basket making and beading.
The Duchess of Cornwall then attended the K.N.U.S.T. Literacy and Essay Prize Event and joined a number of children’s reading circles.
K.N.U.S.T., (the name honors Kwame Nkrumha, the first Prime Minister and later President of Ghana) was established in 1952. It has colleges of Agriculture, Health, Humanities, Art and the Built Environment, Engineering and Science.
Finally, The Prince of Wales joined Her Royal Highness at K.N.U.S.T. to inaugurate the newly-titled ‘The Prince of Wales Park’, which was named to commemorate His Royal Highness’s visit. The Prince planted a tree, before unveiling a plaque to officially name the new park.
Day Four
Today, on day four of the Royal visit to Ghana, The Prince of Wales began the day by giving a speech on The Commonwealth.
In the speech, His Royal Highness talked about the importance of the Commonwealth and people-to-people connections.
The speech was delivered at the British Council’s Start-Up exhibition and was attended by a number of Ghanaian entrepreneurs. After being introduced by The President of Ghana, The Prince said during his speech: "It is clear to me that the Commonwealth remains as vital today, as it has ever been.
"It brings us together, building bridges between our governments and our people, and offering the practical means to work together for a better future."
The Duchess of Cornwall meanwhile attended a Women of the World (WOW) roundtable event.
The WOW – Women of the World festival is a global movement celebrating women and girls and looking at the obstacles that stop them from achieving their potential. The Duchess met women who shared their stories in a panel discussion.
Next, The Duchess visited the Ghana International School (G.I.S.) and launched The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2019.
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition is the world’s oldest schools’ international writing competition, managed by The Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883.
Her Royal Highness will present the awards on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen during a reception at Buckingham Palace on 22nd November.
The Duchess then attended a Commonwealth Big Lunch at the Ghana International Junior School where HRH met youngsters and saw a variety of performances including reading, dancing and poems.
The Prince of Wales meanwhile joined a Roundtable Discussion on Cocoa with guests including senior representatives from the Government of Ghana, cocoa industry, development partners, farmer organisations and civil society.
His Royal Highness then attended a plastics event to discuss the importance of tackling plastic waste and hear about the issue of Ocean Plastics in Ghana.
In the evening, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall attended a State Banquet at Jubilee House, hosted by President Akufo-Addo and First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo.
During the evening, Mr. Edward Enninful O.B.E., Editor in Chief of British Vogue, introduced a fashion show specifically designed to showcase Ghana’s world-leading role in fashion. Three global designers each showcased three designs from the collections of: Ozwald Boateng O.B.E., Christie Brown, and Adrian Sauvage, alongside three up and coming Ghanaian designers.
