PM, Queen to go to church

Manning’s attendance at next month’s service in Westminster Abbey was outlined by information provided to Newsday from the Commonwealth Secretariat which is based at Malborough House in London.

Before the service, Manning, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Commonwealth Secretary Kamalesh Sharma will address a news conference and attend a flag-raising ceremony at Malborough House to mark Rwanda’s first day as a member nation of the Commonwealth.

Commonwealth leaders approved Rwanda’s request to join the group on November 29,2009, the final day of the last Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which was held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Conference Centre in Port-of-Spain.

Manning is the incumbent chairman of the Commonwealth and will turn over the post to Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd when the next CHOGM is held in Australia in 2011.