Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall Camilla welcomed at Istana

Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, were welcomed by President of Singapore Halimah Yacob at the Presidential abode Istana today. The royal couple also met Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Mdm Ho Ching while at the Istana.

 Prince Charles inspecting guard-of-honour at Singapore’s Presidential palace Istana.
Prince Charles inspecting guard-of-honour at Singapore’s Presidential palace Istana. Photo courtesy: Twitter

The royal prince received a ceremonial welcome at the Istana grounds, which included inspecting the Guard-of-Honour.

oyal couple also met Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Mdm Ho Ching
The royal couple meeting Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Mdm Ho Ching at Istana. Photo courtesy: Twitter

Later, they laid a wreath at the city's Cenotaph and paid homage to the soldiers who died during World War I and II.

The four-day visit of the royal couple to Singapore started on October 30. They earlier 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.

President of Singapore Halimah Yacob welcoming Prince Charles and his wife at Istana. Photo courtesy: Twitter
President of Singapore Halimah Yacob welcoming Prince Charles and his wife at Istana. Photo courtesy: Twitter

The pair spoke to athletes and Prince Charles was pictured posing with them while carrying the Queen's Baton. Later, the couple was also seen entering Yamazaki, a Japanese restaurant and bar along Fullerton Road, in a video posted by the restaurant. 

Singapore's foreign ministry said the visit "reaffirms the historic and long-standing relationship between Singapore and the United Kingdom". 

Pupils at Temasek Junior College waiting to see the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla.
Pupils at Temasek Junior College waiting to see the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla. Photo courtesy: Twitter

Meanwhile, the Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla took time from her busy schedule and visited Temasek Junior College. Crowds of curious students lined the staircases and upper-level hallways of their school, wielding mobile phones and craning their necks to see the royal guest.

Camilla met participants of the Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, the world’s oldest schools’ international writing competition. Last year, a Temasek JC student had won an award in the competition.

Prince Charles laying wreath at Cenotaph to pay homage to soldiers who died during World War I and II.
Prince Charles laying wreath at Cenotaph to pay homage to soldiers who died during World War I and II. Photo courtesy: Twitter

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.

Prince Charles and the Duchess attend a wreath laying service at the Cenotaph.
Prince Charles and the Duchess attend a wreath laying service at the Cenotaph. Photo courtesy: Twitter

Charles and Camilla will end their tour with a visit to India, where they will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.