London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

Prince Charles and Camilla arrive in Rwanda for Commonwealth meeting

Prince Charles and Camilla arrive in Rwanda for Commonwealth meeting

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall have arrived in Rwanda ahead of a summit of Commonwealth leaders.

Prince Charles is representing the Queen, the head of the Commonwealth, at the event, which was postponed in 2021 and 2020 because of the pandemic.

The trip marks the first royal visit to Rwanda, which is one of a minority of nations the Queen has not visited.

It comes after it was reported that the prince privately criticised the UK's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

According to claims reported in the Times earlier this month, the heir to the throne was said to believe the policy was "appalling".

The first flight due to take asylum seekers from the UK to Rwanda was cancelled last week, minutes before take-off, following legal rulings by Europe's human rights court.

Prince Charles and Camilla arrived in Rwanda's capital, Kigali, on Tuesday night and were greeted by a small group of dignitaries.

Among those greeting the royal couple at the steps of the plane were the UK's High Commissioner to Rwanda, Omar Daair, Rwanda's High Commissioner to the UK, Johnton Busingye, special adviser Yamina Karitanyi and the prime minister's special representative on the Commonwealth, Lord Ahmad.

Ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm), Prince Charles said the partnership had the "potential" to make a difference on issues like climate change and providing opportunities for young people.

The Commonwealth can be "an unparalleled force for good in our world", he said.

Special adviser ambassador Yamina Kritanyi greeted the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall


During the visit, the heir to the throne will meet survivors and perpetrators of the Rwandan Genocide.

In 1994, ethnic Hutu extremists slaughtered hundreds of thousands of members of the Tutsi community.

Encouraged by a former Rwandan footballer, Prince Charles will visit a church outside the capital where the remains of genocide victims are buried.

Eric Murangwa, the founder of the organisation Football For Hope, Peace And Unity, was sheltered from the killings by teammates and the Prince of Wales made him an MBE in recognition of his efforts raising awareness of the genocide against the Tutsi.

Prince Charles last represented the Queen at Chogm in Sri Lanka in 2013, and in 2018 he was appointed the monarch's designated successor as head of the Commonwealth.

The event is usually held in a different country every two years.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
×