{"id":2000116217,"date":"2026-06-19T12:16:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-19T10:16:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000116217"},"modified":"2026-06-19T12:20:57","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T10:20:57","slug":"music-culture-and-diplomacy-light-up-king-charles-iiis-birthday-in-kigali-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/music-culture-and-diplomacy-light-up-king-charles-iiis-birthday-in-kigali-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"Music, culture and diplomacy light up King Charles III\u2019s birthday in Kigali (Photos)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The annual event, commonly known as the King\u2019s Birthday Party, brought together government officials, diplomats, business leaders, and artists for an evening that blended formal diplomacy with a festival-style celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

British High Commissioner to Rwanda Alison Thorpe said the choice of June for the celebration reflects a longstanding British tradition of marking the monarch\u2019s birthday twice, once in June and again in November during the actual birthday month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor those of you who were here in November, you might be wondering why we are celebrating again so soon. The answer is a wonderfully British tradition,\u201d she said, noting that the June timing was also chosen for its favourable summer weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thorpe said this year\u2019s theme focused on music festivals, describing them as spaces where people come together for \u201cgreat music, good friends, and lots and lots of dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She highlighted the cultural parallels between global festivals such as Glastonbury in the United Kingdom and Rwanda\u2019s own Kivu Fest, saying both reflect the power of music to connect communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The High Commissioner also used the occasion to outline the United Kingdom\u2019s evolving approach to Africa, saying London has shifted from a traditional donor model to what she described as a more balanced partnership focused on investment and shared growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn plain terms, that means we have moved from being an old-fashioned donor to a genuine investor and partner,\u201d she said, adding that the new approach prioritises trade, development partnerships, and people-to-people links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She highlighted growing economic ties between Rwanda and the UK, including efforts to increase exports of Rwandan tea and coffee to British supermarkets, expand high-value investment projects, and deepen cooperation through the British Chamber of Commerce in Rwanda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thorpe also emphasised long-standing institutional partnerships, noting cooperation between Rwandan institutions such as the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) and the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), as well as more than 60 university partnerships between the two countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On development cooperation, she said the relationship has evolved into one built on shared expertise and mutual learning, while reaffirming commitments in areas such as education, climate resilience, financial sector development, and Ebola preparedness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The UK has recently committed \u00a3800,000 (about Rwf 1.6 billion) in new funding to strengthen Rwanda\u2019s preparedness for Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have long partnerships and we can and will do more,\u201d she affirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rwanda\u2019s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Usta Kaitesi, who was the guest of honour, echoed the message of strong bilateral ties, describing the relationship between Rwanda and the United Kingdom as one grounded in mutual respect, regular dialogue, and shared development goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She noted that while differences may occasionally arise on regional or international issues, such moments do not define the partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSuch moments do not define our relationship. Rather, they remind us that genuine partnerships are strengthened through honest dialogue, mutual understanding, and continued engagement,\u201d she remarked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Kaitesi highlighted key areas of cooperation, including education, social protection, climate resilience, public financial management, and Ebola preparedness. She also pointed to expanding economic engagement, with British investment active in sectors such as renewable energy, mining, agriculture, hospitality, infrastructure, and financial services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She welcomed the establishment of the British Chamber of Commerce in Rwanda as a milestone in strengthening trade and investment relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Minister also acknowledged cultural and creative initiatives supported by the UK, including efforts to connect Rwandan fashion designers with their British counterparts through the Rwanda Fashion Entrepreneurship Programme, describing it as an example of diplomacy extending beyond policy into people-centred collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis initiative demonstrates that diplomacy is not only about governance, it is equally about creating opportunities for people, innovation, and cultural exchange,\u201d she noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Kaitesi reaffirmed Rwanda\u2019s commitment to working with the UK to promote peace, stability, and shared prosperity before proposing a toast to His Majesty King Charles III and the continued friendship between the two nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the formal speeches, the celebration featured live performances by Okay Bisoke, Umuriri Band, Coco, DJ Cynthasizer, DJ JP Zed, and DJ Trick. Guests also enjoyed traditional drumming, gymnastics, juggling, and fire-eating performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The festival-themed event included food stalls, craft beers, cocktails, silent disco and lounge areas, with menus inspired by the traditional King\u2019s Birthday Parade offerings, including dishes such as cod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vibrant evening reflected what both sides described as a growing partnership, one that blends diplomacy, economic cooperation, and cultural exchange into a shared celebration of friendship between Rwanda and the United Kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The annual event, commonly known as the King\u2019s Birthday Party, brought together government officials, diplomats, business leaders, and artists for an evening that blended formal diplomacy with a festival-style celebration.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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British High Commissioner to Rwanda Alison Thorpe said the choice of June for the celebration reflects a longstanding British tradition of marking the monarch\u2019s birthday twice, once in June and again in November during the actual birthday month.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Rwanda\u2019s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Usta Kaitesi, who was the guest of honour, echoed the message of strong bilateral ties, describing the relationship between Rwanda and the United Kingdom as one grounded in mutual respect, regular dialogue, and shared development goals.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Dr. Kaitesi reaffirmed Rwanda\u2019s commitment to working with the UK to promote peace, stability, and shared prosperity before proposing a toast to His Majesty King Charles III and the continued friendship between the two nations.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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It was a night to celebrate music, culture, and friendship under the stars.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The festival-themed event included food stalls, craft beers, cocktails, silent disco and lounge areas, with menus inspired by the traditional King\u2019s Birthday Parade offerings, including dishes such as cod.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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One of the guests won a two-night all-inclusive stay for two at the newly refurbished Sambora Kinigi Lodge through a raffle draw.

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Music, culture, and diplomacy blended beautifully on Thursday evening as the British High Commission hosted the Official Birthday Celebration of His Majesty King Charles III at the Residence of the British High Commissioner in Kigali.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000116230,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000116217","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"featured_image":{"id":2000116230,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/06\/2I1A9073.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":2000,"height":1333,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/06\/2I1A9073.jpg","width":2000,"height":1333},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/06\/2I1A9073.jpg","width":2000,"height":1333},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/06\/2I1A9073.jpg","width":2000,"height":1333},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/06\/2I1A9073.jpg","width":2000,"height":1333},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/06\/2I1A9073.jpg","width":2000,"height":1333}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000116217","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000116217"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000116217\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000116252,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000116217\/revisions\/2000116252"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000116230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000116217"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000116217"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000116217"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000116217"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000116217"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}