Prince William, Catherine view 'Diana' orchid on royal tour of Singapore
AAP
September 11, 20129:00PM
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are touring South-East Asia as part of celebrations marking the 60th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. Source: AFP
BRITAIN'S Prince William and his wife Catherine have had a sombre start to their second official overseas tour, becoming the first royals to view a white orchid named in his mother's honour.
Princess Diana never got to see the magnificent free-flowing hybrid as she died only a few weeks before a scheduled trip to Singapore's Botanic Gardens in 1997. The sky was heavy with monsoon rain as the royal couple arrived at the grounds shortly after touching down at Changi Airport.
About 200 locals braved the scorching Singapore sun, erupting into thunderous applause for the rock star royals. The Duchess of Cambridge - popularly known as Kate - defied the sticky tropical heat in a kimono-style soft pink, long-sleeved, knee-length dress, patterned with white orchids, by British designer Jenny Packham.
She matched it with tan shoes, a half-up hair do and tiny drop pearl earrings. The future king was overheard joking with his bride about how her dress matched the orchid with white petals and purple red spots that was named "Vanda William Catherine'' in their joint honour.
Prince William views an orchid hybrid named after his mother Diana, the Princess of Wales, during a visit to the Orchid Garden within the Singapore Botanical Gardens. Source: AFP
He also asked staff at the gardens whether his mother had a chance to see the delicate flower named after her, and sadly remarked ``that's a shame'' when told she hadn't. Princess Diana's white orchid, Dendrobium Memoria, was named in September 1997.
Among the 180 orchids named after VIPs are blooms paying tribute to Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, South Africa's Nelson Mandela, singer Ricky Martin and the Queen. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are touring South-East Asia and the South Pacific as part of celebrations marking the 60th year of Queen Elizabeth II's reign.
It will be a vastly different tour to when they visited North America last year although Kate - now a fashion icon - is expected to once again pay homage to the locals by wearing some home-grown designers.
Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, view a hybrid orchid named in their honour at the Orchid Garden within the Singapore Botanical Gardens,Source: AFP
Despite her near perfect evolution into the royal role, all eyes will be on the new Duchess to see how she handles herself when pitted against the unforgiving humidity, insects, language barriers, and vastly different cultures and religions.
Kate is expected to wow the crowds later in the evening by wearing a lavish ball gown at a state dinner hosted by Singapore's President Tony Tan at his official residence. The dinner will wrap up the first of their three days in Singapore.
The Queen has personally selected much of their nine-day itinerary, which also takes in Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and the tiny island of Tuvalu - but not Australia. Renowned for their common touch, the couple will join children in sports, scrub down after some art therapy, travel by garlanded war canoes, visit a jungle, and wear traditional dress at outdoor feasts.
