Mutara III Rudahigwa (March 1911 – 25 July 1959) was King (umwami) of Rwanda between 1931 and 1959. He was the first Rwandan king to bring Catholicism to the country, being baptised Charles Léon Pierre. He is thus sometimes referred to as Charles Mutara III Rudahigwa.

Early life and education

Rudahigwa was born in March 1911, Rudahigwa took the regnal name Mutara, The following day, he visited his Belgian doctor at the colonial hospital, where he suddenly died. which is supported by his active engagement in sporting activities then, including vigorous games of tennis.

Rudahigwa was succeeded by his half-brother, Jean-Baptiste Ndahindurwa, as Kigeli V.

Honours

National

  • 60x60px Grand Master and Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Lion (Intare), founded 1959

Foreign

  • 60x60px Grand Cross of the Belgian Order of Leopold II, 1955, Commander 1947
  • 60x60px Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Gregory the Great, 1947 through Archbishop Giovanni Battista Dellepiane, Apostolic Delegate to Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ancestry

References

  • Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Roméo Dallaire
  • Généalogies de la noblesse (les Batutsi) du Ruanda, Vicariat Apostolique du Ruanda Kabgayi (1950) (in French). Detailed genealogical record of Rwandan nobility:
  • Scanned copy [https://archive.org/details/genealogiesdelan00leon]
  • Plain text copy [https://archive.org/stream/genealogiesdelan00leon/genealogiesdelan00leon_djvu.txt]