SINGAPORE: Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived in Singapore on Monday (Oct 30) to kick off a four-day visit to Singapore.
The heir to the British throne and Camilla are on an 11-day trip that will include stops in Malaysia and India, aimed at cementing relations ahead of a meeting of Commonwealth states next year.
Prince Charles and his wife Camilla met Singapore athletes who were taking part in the Queen’s Baton Relay, which travels around the world ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Britain’s Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall Camilla attend the handover of the Queen’s Commonwealth Baton. (Photo: AFP)
The pair spoke to athletes and Prince Charles was pictured posing with them while carrying the Queen’s Baton.
Prince Charles posing for a photograph with Singaporean athletes. (Photo: AFP)
The Queen’s Baton – the Commonwealth Games’ equivalent to the Olympic torch – is part of the tournament’s tradition to celebrate diversity.
The pair was also seen entering Yamazaki, a Japanese restaurant and bar along Fullerton Road, in a video posted by the restaurant.
On Tuesday, Charles and Camilla will receive a ceremonial welcome at the presidential palace, and meet President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
They will lay a wreath at the city’s Cenotaph, which honours soldiers who died during World War I and II, and will have an orchid named after them.
In the evening the couple will be honoured with a state banquet.
Singapore’s foreign ministry said the visit “reaffirms the historic and long-standing relationship between Singapore and the United Kingdom”.
After ending their trip to Singapore on Thursday, the couple will kick off a week-long trip to Malaysia. They will visit Kuala Lumpur and meet with tribespeople on Borneo island before heading to Penang’s George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Charles and Camilla will end their tour with a visit to India, where they will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Commonwealth Summit will take place in Britain in April next year, with leaders from more than 50 countries expected to attend.
