Fresh concern has been raised about the welfare of a young woman living in a remote woodland camp near Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders after she said she is pregnant and "playing a surrogate for the queen."
The woman, identified in camp videos as Asnat and born Kaura Taylor in the United States, is living with two adults who call themselves the Kingdom of Kubala — Kofi Offeh, 36, originally from Ghana and styling himself "King Atehene," and his wife Jean Gasho, 42, from Zimbabwe, who calls herself "Queen Nandi." Taylor, 21, appeared in social media footage from the camp saying she was an "inferior mistress" and that she was a surrogate.
Taylor's family in the United States has expressed alarm and urged her to return home. Her mother, Melba Whitehead, told reporters that the group was a "cult" and a danger to those around them, and said Taylor had been a promising student who wanted to study law but had experienced mental health problems. According to the family's account and news reports, Taylor vanished from her Texas home three months ago with her one‑year‑old daughter before appearing in the Scottish Borders with the other two members of the group.
The trio set up a makeshift encampment in woodland where they claim to be reclaiming ancestral land they say was "stolen from a black Jewish tribe centuries ago." They have asserted that they are part of a lost tribe of Hebrews and that their ancestors were expelled from Scotland during the reign of Elizabeth I — claims that have not been substantiated by independent sources.
Footage and photographs posted online show the group living outdoors: bathing in a stream, chanting around a fire, praying by a river and wearing improvised clothing made from foraged materials. In one video, Gasho is seen fanning Offeh with a peacock feather as he declares he is a messianic figure and a direct descendant of the biblical King David, saying the group follows "the laws of the creator" and does not recognise modern land ownership.
The encampment has prompted legal and community responses. The landowner, David Palmer, described the group as a "nuisance" and has sought their eviction through the courts. A legal warrant for removal was being pursued at Jedburgh Sheriff Court, and officials have said the camp initially occupied land owned by Scottish Borders Council.
Local reactions have been mixed. Some residents expressed concern about the legality and sanitary conditions of the camp and worried for the welfare of the occupants, particularly Taylor and the child reported to have travelled with her. There have also been reports of hostility: the camp was reportedly targeted by people who threw stones at tents, an incident that raised safety concerns among neighbours and local officials. One woman, said to be from Birmingham, told a tabloid newspaper she had travelled to meet the group after seeing them online and described them as "lovely," saying the man who calls himself the king had invited her to join them.
Authorities have not publicly identified any criminal charges relating to the camp beyond the civil eviction action, and it was not clear whether child welfare agencies had made contact with the family or the occupants. Those details, including the whereabouts and welfare of the child reported to have travelled with Taylor, were not independently confirmed in court filings reviewed by reporters.
The Kingdom of Kubala's self‑description and public social media posts have coincided with wider public curiosity and scrutiny. Religious and historical claims advanced by the group have not been corroborated by historians or genealogists cited by local media. Offeh and Gasho have said they are reconnecting with nature and asserting a spiritual right to the land, while rejecting the authority of modern governments.
As the legal process moves forward, local officials, the landowner and Taylor's family continue to seek resolution. Court records show an eviction warrant was being pursued at the local sheriff court on Thursday evening; any further hearings or enforcement actions were not immediately scheduled for public disclosure. Police and council representatives declined to comment beyond confirming that reports had been made about the encampment and that landowners can seek removal through the courts.
The episode has highlighted tensions between claims of alternative communal living and the responsibilities of landowners and authorities to protect vulnerable people and uphold the law. It also prompted debate among residents about how to respond to people living off‑grid on private or council land, and whether interventions should be primarily welfare‑driven, legal, or both. Authorities said they will consider any relevant welfare concerns alongside the property dispute as the matter proceeds through the courts.