SINGAPORE – President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have written to King Charles III to congratulate him on his coronation.
On Saturday, King Charles Philip Arthur George was formally crowned king in Britain’s first coronation of a male monarch since 1937.
The 74-year-old has been King since his mother Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, after seven decades as her heir apparent.
Madam Halimah, who attended the coronation of King Charles and his wife Camilla in Westminster Abbey, conveyed her “warmest congratulations on the joyous occasion” in her letter dated Saturday.
She said Singapore and the United Kingdom shared “a deep historical bond” that spans over two centuries, underpinned by frequent high-level exchanges, robust economic links and close people-to-people ties.
Prior to his coronation, King Charles had made official visits to Singapore – a member of the Commonwealth – as Prince of Wales in 1979 and 2017.
Madam Halimah said: “I am certain that under Your Majesty’s leadership, the United Kingdom will continue to deepen the longstanding cooperation with Singapore.
“Recent bilateral milestones such as the United Kingdom-Singapore Green Economy Framework will create more opportunities for our countries to cooperate more closely to develop innovative solutions to address the shared climate challenges.”
PM Lee, in his letter, said the institution of the monarchy has remained a symbol of stability and security in these uncertain and volatile times.
The UK is an important partner for Singapore, with excellent cooperation in areas such as defence, research and education, he added.
“As we celebrate the dawn of the new Carolean era under Your Majesty’s reign, I am confident that relations between our countries will reach even greater heights,” said Mr Lee.
He wished King Charles and Queen Camilla good health and every success.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said, in a separate statement, that Madam Halimah also attended a reception for overseas guests hosted by King Charles, an event for Commonwealth leaders hosted by Commonwealth secretary-general Patricia Scotland, and the small island developing states coronation event hosted by the UK government.
While in London, President Halimah also had separate meetings with Vietnam’s recently elected President Vo Van Thuong and Fiji’s President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere. During these meetings, Madam Halimah took stock of bilateral relations, and discussed global and regional developments, said MFA.
Madam Halimah will attend a reception hosted by the Singapore High Commission in London for overseas Singaporeans in the UK and will return to Singapore on Sunday.
