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S.A.I. & R. l’Arciduchessa Walburga d’Asburgo

S.A.R. l’Infante Dom Duarte di Braganza

S.A.R. l’Infante Dom Henrique di Braganza, Duca di Coimbra

The Royal House of Rwanda

The Kingdom of the Banyarwanda was founded by a pastoral tribe, the Tutsi, ca 15th century. The majority of the population, however, was formed by the agricultural Hutu tribe. The traditional lists of rulers give some forty names (see R. P. Page, Un Royaume Hamie au Centre de l'Afrique (Brussels, 1933), and J. Vansina,

Wearing the Rwandan Royal Crown and Costume, His Majesty King Kigeli V, King of Rwanda in Congo Belge on Independence Day of the Congo with a Belgian General

L'Evolution du Ryaume Rwanda des origines à 1900 (Brussels 1963)), but only become factual by the 18th century. The Kings gradually expanded their domain, incororating older Hutu states, until the kingdom reached its present approximate proportions during the reign of Kigeri IV Rwabugiri (see below). The first Europeans reached the country 1894 and the Germans, encouraged by the Mwami Yuhi IV Musinga, gradually imposed an administyration between 1897 and 1906. They were displaced in World War I and from 1916 Rwanda (with Burundi) formed part of the Belgian administered trusteeship of Ruanda-Urundi. A referendum held under the supervision of the United Nations as the time for granting independence drew near in Sept 1961 resulted in the Hutu majority voting against the monarchy, which was abolished accordingly 2 Oct 1961. On 1 July 1962, Rwanda became an independent republic.

The title of the King of Rwanda was Mwami and the Kings who may be regarded as historical personages were Yuhi II Marzimpaka (1696-1720), Karemera Rwaka (1720-44), Cyilima II Rugugire (1744-68), Kigeri III Ndabaraa (1768-92), Mibambwe III Sentabyo (1792-97), Yuhi III Gahindiro (1797-1830), and Mutara II Rwogira (1830-60), with whose successor we commence our more detailed account.

The material below is sourced from: Hugh Montgomery-Massingberd, Editor, "Burke's Royal Families of the World, Volume 2 : Africa and the Middle East", Burke's Peerage - January 1980

1860-1895 KIGERI IV Rwabugiri, Mwami of Rwanda, s Mwami Mutara II Rwogira 1860, reogranized the Army and consolidated his rule so that the kingdom reached the zenith of its power during his reign, received the first European explorers 1894, d 1895, leaving issue,

1. MIBAMBWE RUTALINDWA, s his father (see below).

2. YUHI MUSINGA, s his brother Mwarni Mibambwe IV (see below).

Mwami Kigeri IV was s by his son,

1895-1896 MIBAMBWE IV Rutalindwa, Mwami of Rwanda, k after a year's reign 1896, when he was s by his brother,

1896-1931 YUHI IV Musinga, Mwami of Rwanda, collaborated with the Germans in order to strengthen his own kingship, deposed by Belgian admin because

of his inability to work with subordinate chiefs 1931, m (a), and had issue,

1. MUTARA RUDAHIGWA, s his father. (see below). Mwami Yuhi IV m (b), and by her had issue,

2. KIGERI NDAHINDURWA, s on his deposition by his son,

1931-1959 MUTARA III Rudahigwa, Mwami of Rwanda, b 1913; d under mysterious circumstances (heart attack or murder?) at Bujumbura, Burundi 1959, when he was s by his half-brother,

1959-1961 KIGERI V Ndahindurwa, Mwami of Rwanda, deposed by a Hutu uprising later the same year and left the country after the referendum to abolish the Monarchy 1961, b 1938.

His Majesty's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms design is based on a number of symbols representing the various attributes of the monarchy. The crest is comprised of a traditional royal head-dress or crown, a symbol representing the monarchy. HM wears a traditional crown in a photo found on the page describing the monarchy. The three stars, positioned top right and left, and one below the arms symbolize the three clans of Rwandans: Hutu, Tutsi & Twa. The lion figures prominently in the history and monarchy of Rwanda, symbolizes the power of the monarchy. The crest-crane symbolizes the nobility of the monarchy. The central figure is the Royal Drum. It is a very important symbol which equates to the combined value of the Sword of State and the Scepter and Orb of a British coronation ceremony.

Orders of His Majesty King Kigeli V

There are four (4) Orders bestowed by the King. They include: The Royal Order of the Drum, The Royal Order of the Crown, The Royal Order of the Crested Crane and the Royal Order of the Lion (Kalinga, Ikamba, Usumbere and Intare). The levels are 1, 1, 3, 5 respectively and hence Tambour and Crown goes to royals and those of rank of PM or Grand Chamberlain. Grand Cross recipients of the King's Orders include: Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi ; Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie Haile-Selassie, President of the Crown Council of Ethiopia; HH Sharif Ali Bin Hussein of Iraq; HIM Empress Jasmin of Iran; HH Prince Osman Rifat Ibrahim, Egypt (HGlory Nabil Osman Rifat Ibrahim Sultanzade); HM Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah Al Bu Said, Sultan of Zanzibar; HE Julius Nyrere, Tanzania; HE Jomo Kenyatta, Tanzania; HRH Prince Pavlos of Greece. Non-Royals include: Sir Conrad Swan, KCVO, former Garter King of Arms at the College of Arms, London; The Hon Donald H. Rumsfeld, 21st United States Secretary of Defense; HE Timoor Daghistani, GCVO, Ambassador of Jordon in London; His Excellency Sir James Beethoven Carlisle, GCMG, Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda;

The Monarchy of the last 880 years ( 1081 - 1961 )
1.	Gihanga	1081 - 1114
2.	Kanyarwanda I Gahima I	1114 - 1147
3.	Yuhi I Musindi	1147 - 1180
4.	Ndahiro I Ruyange	1180 - 1213
5.	Ndahiro Ndoba	1213 - 1246
6.	Ndahiro Samembe	1246 - 1279
7.	Nsoro I Samukondo	1279 - 1312
8.	Ruganzu I Bwimba	1312 - 1345
9.	Cyilima Rugwe	1345 - 1378
10.	Kigeli I Mukobanya	1378 - 1418
11.	Mibambwe I Sekarongoro I Mutabazi	1418 - 1444
12.	Yuhi wa II Gahima II	1444 - 1477
13.	Ndahiro wa II Cyamatare	1477 - 1510
14.	Ruganzu wa II Ndoli	1510 - 1543
15.	Mutara I Nsoro II Semugeshi	1543 - 1576
16.	Kigeli II Nyamuheshera	1576 - 1609
17.	Mibambwe II Sekarongoro II Gisanura	1609 - 1642
18.	Yuhi III Mazimpaka	1642 - 1675
19.	Cylima II Rujugira	1675 - 1708
20.	Kigeli wa III Ndabarasa	1708 - 1741
21.	Mibambwe III Mutabazi II Sentabyo	1741 - 1746
22.	Yuhi IV Gahindiro	1746 - 1802
23.	Mutara II Rwogera	1802 - 1853
24.	Kigeli IV Gahindiro	1853 - 1895
25.	Yuhi wa V Musinga	1895 - 1931
26.	Mutara III Rudahigwa	1931 - 1959
27.	Kigeli V Ndahindurwa	1959 -

HM Coat of Arms

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