The High Commissioner of Ghana to the United Kingdom and Ireland, Sabah Zita Benson, has formally presented her Letters of Credence to the Monarch of the United Kingdom, King Charles III, at St James’s Palace, officially accrediting her to the Court of St James’s and marking the commencement of her diplomatic mission.
The ceremony, held on Wednesday, 27 January 2025, reaffirmed the enduring diplomatic relationship between Ghana and the United Kingdom, which evolved from colonial rule into a partnership of sovereign equals following Ghana’s attainment of republican status in 1960.
Diplomatic engagement between the two countries has historically been underpinned by sustained cooperation among Heads of State, UK Prime Ministers, government officials, the British Monarchy, and development institutions, fostering strong people-to-people ties, cultural exchange, and expanding trade and economic cooperation through established bilateral and Commonwealth frameworks.
Beyond its ceremonial significance, the presentation marked a historic milestone in Ghana–UK relations, as Zita Benson becomes the first female High Commissioner of Ghana to the United Kingdom since the country’s independence in 1957.
The occasion also carried deep monarchical symbolism. Mrs. Benson is the first Ghanaian High Commissioner to be received by the King at St James’s Palace since 1910, the last such presentation having taken place during the reign of King Edward VII. St James’s Palace has served as the ceremonial seat of the British Monarchy since 1531, when it was established as the official royal residence under King Henry VIII, and remains the formal diplomatic court of the Crown.
Ghana has historically enjoyed warm relations with the United Kingdom, which views Ghana not only as a key Commonwealth partner, but also as one of the earliest African nations to emerge from colonial rule, maintaining a distinct symbolic and diplomatic standing within the monarchy and the British state.
Ghana–UK relations trace back to the era of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who maintained close ties with British Prime Ministers Harold Macmillan, Alec Douglas-Home, and Harold Wilson, including shared opposition to apartheid in South Africa. The partnership was further strengthened under President John Agyekum Kufuor, who worked closely with Prime Minister Tony Blair on peace and stability initiatives in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and was awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 2006.
Economically, bilateral trade between Ghana and the United Kingdom reached £1.5 billion by the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting a 5.7 per cent increase year-on-year. Total UK imports from Ghana stood at £640 million, though this represented a 10.9 per cent decline compared to the previous year.
The High Commission has reported notable achievements under Mrs. Benson’s leadership, including strengthened engagement with the Ghanaian diaspora across the UK and Ireland. In the past year, the Mission convened Ghanaian PhD scholars on scholarship obligations, hosted delegations such as the Gonjaland Union and the Federation of Muslim Women Associations UK, and organised community-focused initiatives, including Ghana’s first Christmas carols service in the UK in partnership with the Church of Pentecost.
Mrs. Benson further highlighted progress in digital service delivery, recording 241 successful Ghana Card applications, the resumption of mobile passport services in Manchester and Dublin, and plans to expand services to Birmingham in the first quarter of 2026.
Her diplomatic stewardship aligns with the broader foreign policy direction shaped under the leadership of Secretary-General Botchwey, whose over two decades of experience in diplomacy, governance, and international relations includes service as Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, chairmanship of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, and Ghana’s tenure on the United Nations Security Council.
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