Princess Anne lays a wreath at memorial service in Singapore | UK News

It was a sombre occasion when the Princess Royal paid tribute to those who gave their lives defending freedom thousands of miles from home.

Under grey skies, Anne joined British and Singaporean veterans in a minute’s silence at the Kranji War Cemetery in Singapore.

She then took a poppy wreath in her hands and laid it at the memorial before taking two steps back.

Nearly 4,500 Commonwealth casualties of the Second World War, who died defending Singapore and Malaya from Japan, are laid to rest in the cemetery.

Among them is Midshipman James Bremridge, a relative of Anne’s husband Sir Timothy Laurence.

Mr Bremridge, who died aged 18, served aboard HMS Repulse, which was sunk by Japanese aircraft in the South China Sea in December 1941.

Sir Timothy laid a wreath on his grave.

During the visit, Anne met staff from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which she heads, and was greeted by its vice chair Peter Hudson.

Commander Tim Curnock of the British Royal Navy read an extract from For the Fallen, before the assembled veterans said “we will remember them” in unison.

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Along with the princess, the presidents of the Singapore Armed Veterans’ League and veterans’ charity Sandbag were also invited to lay wreaths at the memorial.

The piper, who played to mark the occasion, stood at the top of the cemetery overlooking the rows of headstones and saluted after Anne spoke to him.

The two-day visit to Singapore marks 60 years of diplomatic relations with the UK.

The Princess Royal also visited the National Orchid Garden, where a flower was named after her in a short ceremony.

The purple bloom, now called Dendrobium Anne, was “very special” she said.

The princess was also shown around the VIP garden, where orchid hybrids named after various heads of state are kept.

She paused to admire one called Dendrobium Elizabeth after her late mother.

Six members of the royal family have had orchids named after them in the garden, including the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2012.

Anne also visited HMS Spey, which has been deployed to the Indo-Pacific region since 2021.