President George Vella at King Charles III Coronation

At the recent coronation ceremony of King Charles III and his wife the Queen Consort Camilla, at Westminister Abbey in London, President George Vella and his wife Miriam, attended as representatives of Malta It was an occasion that President Vella described as a pleaureable experience to be at He also remarked on the solemnity of the Coronation ceremony conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and the organisation

He said he had the opportunity to share thoughts with heads of state from different countries during the event

President Vella was among a congregation of 2,200 guests, including representatives from 203 countries and 100 heads of state

On the eve of the coronation, President Vella also attended a meeting with heads of Commonwealth countries in honour of King Charles organised at Marlborough House by Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland He had the opportunity to reflect on the future of the Commonwealth, emphasising the potential for youths to promote the principles of peace and sustainable development.

In his intervention, President George

Vella suggested exchange programmes similar to those in Europe for youths He pointed out the threat for most small countries by climate change and that they will be at risk of being destroyed if the sea level rises.

He said that it was an excellent discussion, and it seemed that there was a new impetus for the future of the Commonwealth under the leadership of King

Charles and the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Scotland,

Meanwhile, Mrs Vella took part in and also addressed an event for partners of leaders of Commonwealth countries, led by Rwanda’s First Lady, Mrs Jeannette Kagame, which focused on the action needed to eliminate cervical cancer throughout the Commonwealth.

On the eve of the Coronation ceremony, along with other guests of the Coronation ceremony the President and Mrs Vella were invited to Buckingham Palace, where they met members of the Royal Family, and President Vella spoke, among others, about the ties between Malta and the Royal Family

In London, he also had a courtesy call with ten members of the Armed Forces of Malta (left), who, together with troops from the Commonwealth countries, took part in the procession accompanying King Charles III and Queen Camilla