Prince William, the Prince of Wales, has arrived in Singapore for the third annual Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony.
Upon his arrival, he received a warm welcome and expressed his delight at being back in the city-state, surrounded by the world’s largest indoor waterfall.
During his eventful first day, the father of three visited the Jewel in the Changi Airport to officially kick off the countdown to the awards ceremony.
Royal well-wishers couldn’t contain their excitement as Prince William, dressed in a dark navy suit, graciously accepted gifts, shook hands, and even posed for selfies with the crowd.
As Prince William made his way through the enthusiastic crowds, an adorable moment unfolded when he came across an eight-month-old baby girl.
The little one grabbed onto Prince William’s finger and looked up at him, bringing a smile to his face.
Unfazed by the playful interaction, he continued to engage with the tiny tot’s parents.
Among the crowd waiting for Prince William was Amna Yaacob, who expressed her excitement and shock at his unexpected visit.
She exclaimed that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a dream come true for her.
Prince William himself shared his feelings about the warm welcome from the locals, stating how fantastic it was to be back in Singapore after 11 years for the Earthshot Prize ceremony.
He praised Singapore’s bold vision to be a leader in environmental innovation and encouraged everyone to take inspiration from the fantastic work being done there.
Later in the evening, Prince William was presented with a tembusu tree in the surrounding gardens by James Font, the CEO of Jewell.
This marked the first time a tree has been planted at Jewell to commemorate the visit of a foreign dignitary.
Meanwhile, Princess Catherine, William’s wife, was notably absent from the event.
It was revealed that her absence was due to their eldest son, Prince George’s exams, which coincided with the awards ceremony.
Princess Catherine stayed in the UK to support Prince George as he sat entrance exams for his future private school.
Prince George, currently in year 6 at Lambrook School in Berkshire, is likely to be taking the ICB common pre-tests, which consist of sections in mathematics, English, reading comprehension and grammar, verbal reasoning, and nonverbal reasoning.
While he won’t move schools until the age of 13, entrance exams are typically taken three years in advance.
Possible future school options for Prince George include Eaton College in Windsor, which his father attended, or Marlborough College in Wiltshire, his mother’s alma mater.
During a recent outing in Cardiff, Princess Catherine revealed that she had been helping Prince George prepare for his exams, particularly in mathematics.
As Prince William continues his visit to Singapore for the Earthshot Prize Awards, the anticipation grows for the announcement of this year’s finalists.
The event serves as a reminder of the importance of environmental innovation and the need for global collaboration to tackle pressing issues facing our planet.