The late Queen Elizabeth II of Britain began a two-day state visit to Ghana on November 8, 1999.
Her visit came just as the democratically elected government of Ghana was coming to an end under the leadership of late Jerry John Rawlings.
From 1981 to 1991, Rawlings held the position of military Head of State; from 1992 to 2001, he was elected president.
Huge crowds flocked to see Queen Elizabeth II in person before she went to Parliament House to give an address. Many were hoping to get a rare glimpse of her. The queen was given a durbar.
As she remarked that “Rawlings’s tenure was characterized by momentous changes, “Queen Elizabeth II’s speech in parliament, which focused on promoting democratic rule and governance, was surprisingly welcomed with surprise laughter and jeers from MPs.
“Next year, your president, who has led you through these momentous changes, will reach the end of his second term,” Queen Elizabeth II remarked as members of parliament laughed and yelled “yes.”
The Queen was clearly surprised by the response, as seen in the video, but she was still able to carry on with her speech in parliament.
“His successor is to be chosen freely and fairly by the people of Ghana,” Queen Elizabeth added.
Queen Elizabeth II met with chiefs and people from all throughout Ghana during her two days there. She also went to a nearby school in Accra, where the pupils sang a song to welcome her.
Check out the video below.
