Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall began their tour of Singapore today, kicking off an 11-day tour which will also see them visit Malaysia, Brunei and India. This is the couple’s first joint visit to the country, although Charles previously visited Singapore in 1979.
Charles and Camilla arrived separately in Singapore, with the Duchess greeting her husband with a kiss when he arrived at their hotel. Camilla arrived in the region first (rumoured to have stopped off in India for a yoga retreat…) while The Prince of Wales landed today on a RAF jet.
Camilla Duchess of Cornwall who arrived ahead of #RoyalVisitSingapore greets Prince Charles with a kiss as he arrived in #Singapore #royals pic.twitter.com/Hhpzkxqmcw
— Rookie (@royalfocus1) October 30, 2017
The tour is being undertaken at the request of the British government; next year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) will be held in London, and so this tour is a key event in the run-up to the meeting, and hopes to celebrate the U.K.’s partnership with these Commonwealth Nations on shared priorities.
The visit will centre on themes including community, cultural diversity and business innovation. According to Charles’ deputy private security for foreign and Commonwealth affairs, Scott Furssedonn-Wood, Charles and Camilla will: “Undertake nearly 50 engagements that showcase the breadth and depth of the United Kingdom’s relationship with these key Commonwealth partners in advance of a Commonwealth summit in London next April”.
The Duchess of Cornwall speaks with members of Team Singapore who participated in the Baton Relay (C/ @ClarenceHouse Twitter)
Today, the royal couple met with members of Team Singapore, with the Royals speaking to athletes and para-athletes who will compete in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Prince Charles expressed his interest in table tennis, describing the sport as “fast” and “exciting”.
The Prince of Wales will represent his mother, The Queen, at the Opening Ceremony of the 21st Games in Australia next year.
Prince Charles and Camilla speak with athletes who will compete for Team Singapore in the 2018 Commonwealth Games (C/ @ClarenceHouse Twitter)
Prince Charles and Camilla arrived in Singapore (C/ @ClarenceHouse Twitter)
Charles and Camilla also spoke to those who participated in the Commonwealth Games Baton relay, which has been taking place across Singapore. The Baton Relay was officially launched at Buckingham Palace by The Queen in March, and the baton is expected to travel 230,000km before arriving on Australia’s Gold Coast.
The couple’s tour will continue for the next 10 days; coverage of the visit can be found using #RoyalVisitSG on Twitter, and of course, The Crown Chronicles will keep you updated on their work.
This map illustrates the Baton Relay route, which was launched at Buckingham Palace and will finish in Australia
