GETTY The Queen will welcome Commonwealth leaders to Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle

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Prime ministers and presidents from more than 50 countries will gather for meetings in the London and Berkshire royal residences during a summit in 2018. It will be the first time the buildings have been included in the list of venues for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) and the decision was made following discussions between No 10 and the palace.

Prime Minister Theresa May is meeting Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat, the current Commonwealth chairman, to discuss preparations for the gathering next April and attend a Westminster Abbey service marking Commonwealth Day. She said: "As we prepare to host the Commonwealth summit in London next April, we are reminded today of the unique and proud global relationships that we have forged with the diverse and vibrant alliance of Commonwealth nations.

"The UK has a long-standing and firm commitment to the Commonwealth and to the values it upholds, of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

The UK is committed to working with all members Prime Minister Theresa May

"And in hosting the Commonwealth summit next year, the UK is committed to working with all members not only to reaffirm these shared values, but also to re-energise and revitalise the Commonwealth to cement its relevance to this and future generations. "As we look to create a truly global Britain, the deep partnerships that we share through a 21st century Commonwealth can help us strengthen the prosperity and security of our own citizens, and those of our many friends and allies across the world."

GETTY The prime ministers and presidents will arrive as part of a summit to forge new trade relations

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A new ministerial group co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Amber Rudd has been set up to deal with preparations for the summit and a team has been created in the Cabinet Office headed by Tim Hitchens, former ambassador to Japan and ex-assistant private secretary to the Queen, to liaise with other countries. The 52-country network, which has a population of 2.4 billion, is viewed as crucial to Britain's future trading success once ties with Brussels are severed.

GETTY The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting will take place in 2018