SINGAPORE: There are many usual sights and sounds in a typical wet market. But on Wednesday (Nov 1), the Tiong Bahru Market was filled with the excited chatter of curious people and the sound of camera shutters, as Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, visited the market.
The royal couple was touring Tiong Bahru as part of their four-day visit to Singapore. They were welcomed to the Istana on Tuesday by President Halimah Yacob and met with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. But even before they arrived, crowds of onlookers had gathered, lining the narrow aisles of the market and hawker centre complex, and spilling out onto the surrounding roads.
Onlookers waiting to catch a glimpse of the royal couple. (Photo: Lianne Chia)
As the pair stepped out of their car to meet and shake hands with MP for the area, Indranee Rajah, a lion dance troupe gave them a rousing welcome, before Ms Indranee guided them into the market for a tour.
Prince Charles and Camilla are welcomed to Tiong Bahru. (Photo: Lianne Chia)
The Duchess was presented with a bouquet of roses at a flower stall, before the pair went on to chat and mingle with stallholders and onlookers.
Pishon Toh, whose mother owns the flower stall, said the Prince asked him about the kind of flowers they sell, and what their working hours are like.
“It’s really my honour to meet them,” he said. “Everyone wanted to shake their hands and stand beside them, but they couldn’t. But out of all the stalls in the market, they chose to come to ours.”
He also described the crowds jamming the aisles of the market as “overwhelming”.
“We thought it would be peaceful, like a normal MP visit. But it was so crowded, especially with all the security. There was really no space to walk!”
Chatting with stallholders in the market. (Photo: Lianne Chia)
Viewing fresh seafood at the fishmonger’s stall. (Photo: Lianne Chia)
The crowd was not a deterrent for Tricia Lim, who owns Whisk cafe across the road from the market.
“We know the people at the market, and yesterday evening we saw them scrubbing the floors, which was kind of odd, so I asked them what was happening,” she said.
“I grew up in London and I never got to see them, so I just had to go,” she added. “They came right in front of me, and I got some really good photos.”
A STROLL THROUGH THE NEIGHBOURHOOD, AND SOME HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES
Following their visit to the market, it was back outdoors for the royal couple, as they went on a stroll through the neighbourhood, looking at examples of local, pre-war architecture. They also visited the Seng Poh community gardens where they spoke with volunteers and learnt about the plants.
Looking at plants along the way. (Photo: Lianne Chia)
A short walk away from the gardens was Singapore’s first community centre, the Tiong Bahru Community Centre, and that was the Duchess of Cornwall’s next stop. Scores of pre-schoolers from the Hampton Pre-school were waiting for her at the entrance, and they waved their pompoms and cheered as they saw her approaching, carrying a parasol to shield her from the heat.
She observed a Chinese ink painting class, before taking up a brush herself and trying her hand at painting a horse.
The Duchess of Cornwall trying out Chinese ink painting. (Photo: Lianne Chia)
But that was not all that she got to try out. Before departing the centre, she also sat in on a cooking class, where she got a crash course in making popiah.
“The duchess was really friendly, warm and had no airs,” said teacher Jolyn Wong. “We had heard that she wanted to do some hands-on activities, so I let her try to make the popiah.”
“I was impressed with her skill,” she added.
Prince Charles and the Duchess leave Singapore for Brunei on Thursday (Nov 2).
