Africa. Ghana. Accra. In November 1961, Queen Elizabeth II visited Ghana, a former British colony that had gained its independence in 1957. MPs and the public were concerned due to rising tensions in a country where President Kwame Nkrumah was well on his way to becoming a dictator. At the time the Queen was aware that Nkrumah was courting the Soviet Union and she wished to strengthen the Commonwealth bonds and forestall any idea of Ghana leaving. Here the Queen dances with President Nkrumah at a farewell ball in Accra. In February 1966, Nkrumah would be overthrown by the military led by General Joseph Arthur Ankrah. 1961