The Princess Royal has reflected on 60 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Singapore at a party to celebrate King Charles’s birthday.
Anne attended the occasion at Eden Hall, the British High Commissioner to Singapore’s residence, in the Asian city-state on Wednesday.
The King will turn 77 years old on Friday, but marked his official birthday in June with the Trooping the Colour parade and the traditional RAF flypast.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesThe Princess Royal gives a toast to the president at a birthday party for King Charles
Addressing hundreds of guests at the birthday party, Anne received laughter when she said: “The timeliness of the celebration of His Majesty the King’s birthday is strangely quite close to his actual birthday for a change. It’s the end of this week. So, not bad.”
She added: “These birthday celebrations are always here at the historic setting of Eden Hall. This building in itself symbolises the United Kingdom’s enduring diplomatic presence here in Singapore.
“It is a remarkable milestone. Sixty years of diplomatic relations between our two countries. It seems quite short. It gives us that historical perspective to reflect on the state of that relationship.
“It started when my late mother Queen Elizabeth II was still in the early years of her remarkable reign, but I know the first time I came here was with her on a state visit in 1972.”