Visit by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, at the request of the British Government, will celebrate the U.K.’s partnership with three Commonwealth Nations (Singapore, Malaysia and India) on shared priorities in advance of the Commonwealth Summit in April 2018.
The visits by the two royals will highlight key themes including celebrating community, cultural diversity and promoting business innovation.
The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will begin the tour in Singapore on 31 October. Their Royal Highnesses will be welcomed by President Halimah Yacob at a ceremony at the Istana- the official residence and office of the President of Singapore. Their Royal Highnesses will also meet Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong before attending an official dinner.
The Prince of Wales’s last official visit to Singapore was in March 1979 and this will be the first official visit to Singapore by The Duchess of Cornwall.
Key events in the programme will include a meeting with leaders from Singapore’s ten national religions in order to highlight Singapore’s innovative approach to community cohesion; an event with representatives from British companies working in Singapore to see how a collaborative approach to research and innovation is creating jobs in both countries; a wreath-laying ceremony to acknowledge the sacrifices made by British, Singaporean and Commonwealth personnel during the two World Wars and other conflicts and an event to celebrate close UK-Singapore cultural collaborations.
The Duchess of Cornwall will also visit a school to meet young people aspiring to enter The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, which is the world’s oldest schools’ international writing competition, managed by The Royal Commonwealth Society since 1883. The Duchess of Cornwall will present certificates to the 2017 winners and runners up, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, at a formal Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace in November.
British High Commissioner to Singapore, Scott Wightman, said, “We are delighted that the Heir to the Throne is visiting Singapore. This is the highest-level British visit to Singapore since Her Majesty The Queen’s State Visit in March 2006 and is therefore a historic opportunity to celebrate the abiding strength of the relationship between our two countries. The programme of events for The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will highlight Singapore’s diversity and collaboration in innovation between the United Kingdom and Singapore in a number of areas, as well as fulfil a request by Their Royal Highnesses to meet as many Singaporeans as possible. I am sure that the people of Singapore will give The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall as warm a welcome as they have other Members of the Royal Family.”
After their stay in Singapore, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will travel to Malaysia in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur on 3 November, followed by Sarawak and Perak and ending their visit to Malaysia in Georgetown, Penang, originally named Prince of Wales Island. On 8 November, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall will also visit India.