Ruth Williams Khama, Lady Khama (9 December 1923 – 22 May 2002) was the wife of Botswana

Botswana

Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...

's first president Sir Seretse Khama

Seretse Khama

Sir Seretse Khama, KBE was a statesman from Botswana. Born into one of the more powerful of the royal families of what was then the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland, and educated abroad in neighbouring South Africa and in the United Kingdom, he returned home—with a popular but controversial...

, the Paramount Chief

Paramount chief

A paramount chief is the highest-level traditional chief or political leader in a regional or local polity or country typically administered politically with a chief-based system. This definition is used occasionally in anthropological and archaeological theory to refer to the rulers of multiple...

 of its Bamangwato

Bamangwato

The Bamangwato can be said to be one of the eight 'principal' Tswana tribes of Botswana, and just like any other Tswana tribe in Botswana, constitutes a small percent in the central district even in their capital serowe. They ruled over majority Bakalangaand other tribes such as the san,bitwa and...

 tribe. Lady Khama was a former WAAF

Women's Auxiliary Air Force

The Women's Auxiliary Air Force , whose members were invariably referred to as Waafs , was the female auxiliary of the Royal Air Force during World War II, established in 1939. At its peak strength, in 1943, WAAF numbers exceeded 180,000, with over 2,000 women enlisting per week.A Women's Royal Air...

 ambulance driver from Blackheath

Blackheath, London

Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

. She met the then Prince Seretse Khama while he was attending law school in England and she was working as a clerk at Lloyd's of London

Lloyd's of London

Lloyd's, also known as Lloyd's of London, is a British insurance and reinsurance market. It serves as a partially mutualised marketplace where multiple financial backers, underwriters, or members, whether individuals or corporations, come together to pool and spread risk...

. Their interracial marriage in 1948 provoked discomfort in both South Africa and, initially, Botswana, and they lived as exiles in England until 1956. They then moved to Botswana. Lady Khama was an influential, politically active first lady

First Lady

First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...

 during her husband's tenure as president, 1966–1980.

Her sons Ian

Ian Khama

Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama is a Botswana politician who has been the President of Botswana since 2008; he is also the Paramount Chief of the Bamangwato tribe...

 and Tshekedi

Tshekedi Khama II

Tshekedi Khama II is a Botswana Member of Parliament from Serowe North-West. He is member of the Botswana Democratic Party or BDP. He is also the brother of the current President of Botswana, Seretse Khama Ian Khama, and one of the three sons of the first President of Botswana, Seretse Khama and...

 became prominent politicians in Botswana.

She died of throat cancer at the age of 79.

A film, A Marriage of Inconvenience, based on the Michael Dutfield book with same name, was made in 1990 about the Khamas. A book, Colour Bar, has been published about the Khamas' relationship and struggles. In addition, it has also been suggested that the experiences of the Khamas, as well as the somewhat contemporary case of 1950s celebutante Peggy Cripps

Peggy Cripps

Enid Margaret "Peggy" Appiah, MBE was a British children's author, philanthropist and socialite. She was the daughter of the Right Honourable Sir Stafford Cripps and Isobel, the Honourable Lady Cripps, and the wife of Ghanaian lawyer and political activist Nana Joe Appiah.-Early life:Enid...

' marriage to the African anti-colonialist Nana

Nana (title)

Nana is a Ghanaian title.Amongst the Akan clans of Ghana, the word Nana generally denotes social eminence derived from either nobility or advanced age. It is most often used as a pre-nominal honorific by individuals who are entitled to it due to the former of the two ....

 Joe Appiah

Joe Appiah

Nana Joseph Emmanuel "Joe" Appiah, MP was a Ghanaian lawyer, politician and statesman. He was born in Kumasi to Nana James Appiah and Nana Adwoa Akyaa, members of the Ashanti imperial aristocracy...

, influenced the writing of the Oscar-winning feature film, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner is a 1967 American drama film starring Spencer Tracy, Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn, and featuring Hepburn's niece Katharine Houghton...

.

External links

• A piece by Susan Williams, author of Colour Bar: The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation; Penguin Books
• Ruth Williams Khama obituary, The Independent
  The Independent
  The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...