President Paul Kagame has lauded King Charles III’s devotion to the Commonwealth ahead of his coronation.

The coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as king and queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms will take place on Saturday, 6 May 2023, at Westminster Abbey.

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Ahead of the event, leaders of Commonwealth member states met with King Charles at Marlborough House, the Headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

After their meeting with the King, leaders from the Commonwealth’s 56 member states then met privately to discuss issues of mutual interest, including initiatives to support the empowerment of young people, as this year has been designated the Commonwealth Year of Youth.

President Kagame, in his role as Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth, addressed the meeting and paid tribute to King Charles.

"We appreciate the King’s lifelong devotion to Commonwealth affairs, just as we remember the role of her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in giving the modern Commonwealth its shape and spirit,” he said.

Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland, said the meeting showed the deep connection between the King and Commonwealth leaders.

"I can think of no stronger signal of His Majesty’s deep connection to our Family of Nations than taking time to meet with Commonwealth Leaders at Marlborough House ahead of his coronation. Earlier this year, the King highlighted the Commonwealth’s ‘near-boundless potential’ as a force for good,” she noted.

The Secretary-General also observed that the Commonwealth is growing in size, scale, and influence, especially as the event also welcomed the leaders of Togo and Gabon, who attended their first meeting of Commonwealth Leaders today.

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent and equal sovereign states, with a combined population of 2.5 billion people.