Singapore’s gift to the Queen goes on show at Buckingham Palace

A gold model of the orchid, Dendrobium Elizabeth, which was presented to HM Queen Elizabeth II by Singapore President S R Nathan on the occasion of the Queen’s Jubilee in 2002, will be among the exhibits on display at Buckingham Palace, London, UK, in an exhibition titled ‘Queen and Commonwealth: The Royal Tour’. The event will be held from 26 July to 30 September 2009.

Dendrobium Elizabeth was named in honour of HM The Queen during her state visit to Singapore in 1972. The majestic Dendrobium model features 35 to 45cm inflorescences with 25 to 30 well-arranged blooms each. Each flower measures 5.5cm across. The twisted petals and the sepals are yellow with light greyish purple streaks, accompanied by a graceful lip that is green flushed with greyish purple.

Also on display is a red and white floral evening dress designed by Norman Hartnell that was worn by the Queen during her state visit to Singapore in 1972 where she was hosted by President Benjamin Sheares. The outfit was specially designed to complement the colours of Singapore’s national flag, with the use of the orchid, the island state’s national flower, as a motif.

Caroline de Guitaut, Assistant Curator (Works of Art) of The Royal Collection, said: “The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Singapore in 1989 and 2006 during her many visits to South-East Asia. During her first two visits, the Queen used the Royal Yacht Britannia as her residence, making it easier for her to travel from place to place, and using the yacht to receive guests for meetings, receptions and state banquets.”

The Britannia was decommissioned in 1997. On her most recent visit to Singapore in 2006, the Queen and her consort stayed at the world-famous Raffles Hotel, named after Sir Stamford Raffles.

The Queen described Singapore as “a centre for excellence in Asia”. She added that Singapore and the United Kingdom were “natural partners” and their political and economic relationship was extending into science and technology as well. She expressed confidence that the relationship would continue to strengthen.

In 2005, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair agreed to strengthen bilateral collaboration in science, technology and engineering through joint research and fellowships.

During the Queen’s 2006 trip, she visited the Singapore Turf Club to watch the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Cup race and presented a trophy to the champion.

Other exhibits at the Buckingham Palace exhibition include gifts presented to HM The Queen from Commonwealth leaders, such as a Maori feather cloak from New Zealand, an aboriginal carving from Australia, traditional handheld fans from Tuvalu, a miniature model of a bus from Pakistan, a totem pole from Canada and a carved wooden stool from Ghana.

A publication of exhibits titled The Royal Tour: A Souvenir Album published by the Royal Collection Publications will also be on display and sale.

For further information, please visit http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/.

Secretariat Links:

• Head of the Commonwealth
• Country Profile: Singapore

Related Websites:

• The Royal Collection