Before Prince Harry visits Singapore, a look back at Will and Kate's 2012 visit
By now, we’ve all heard that Prince Harry will be visiting Singapore for the first time this weekend. And by the looks of his itinerary, we don’t expect to see as much wayang as his brother and sister-in-law were exposed to during their visit in September 2012.
Prince Harry will be in town to attend an Action for Aids reception, join in an iftar session and participate in the Sentebale Royal Polo Cup to raise funds for his charity.
In contrast, Prince William’s visit to Singapore was filled with events. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge came to Singapore as part of their Diamond Jubilee tour of the Far East and the Pacific, over a year after the couple tied the knot in April 2011. They were greeted at Changi Airport by Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Defence, Maliki Osman.
The couple then visited the Botanic Gardens to see an orchid that was named after Prince William’s mother, the late Princess Diana, whose 1997 death in a car crash reportedly came weeks before she was due to visit Singapore to see the orchid.
The Duke and Duchess also met with President Tony Tan, during which Prince William gave a speech thanking Singapore for being “very much part of our Olympic story”. The 2012 Games was awarded to London in 2005 at a press conference in Singapore.
Other places in Singapore they visited include the Rolls-Royce engineering campus, the Kranji War Memorial, the British International School, the Istana, and Gardens by the Bay.
Another significant event was a visit to Queenstown, an estate named after the Queen’s coronation in 1953. The Duke and Duchess were welcomed by Senior Minister of State for Law and Finance Indranee Rajah and a lion dance performance at Strathmore Green housing estate.
The area became swarmed with fans carrying the Singapore and Union Jack flags and other Singaporeans engaging in traditional leisure activities in public such as tai chi and playing chapteh.
This “exhibition” put up for the royals were received criticism from many locals, who didn’t seem too happy about the town councils putting up an extra polish look of the neighbourhood.
Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Kong responded to this on his Facebook, saying “Indeed, doing tai chi or silat at three in the afternoon is almost unheard of. And children of today no longer take fancy to chapteh or five stones… it is common practice to tidy up our home when we are expecting guests, just so to leave them with a good impression.”
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Everything you need to know about Prince Harry before his Singapore visit
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