Swedish State Visit to Singapore: November 19-21, 2024


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LadyFinn

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Their Majesties The King and Queen will pay a State Visit to Singapore on 19–21 November 2024 at the invitation of His Excellency President Tharman Shanmugaratnam of the Republic of Singapore.
This is the first State Visit between Sweden and Singapore. His Majesty The King however has attended other official visits to Singapore in 1982 and 1991. The countries’ exchange of visits at ministerial level is also significant.
Further information about the participants and agenda will be published closer to the date of the Visit.
 
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs gave today a presentation to the King and Queen before state visit to Singapore.

Tuesday 19 November​

Official welcoming ceremony and bilateral meeting​

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and his wife, First Lady Jane Yumiko Ittogi, will receive the King and Queen in an official welcoming ceremony at the Parliament of Singapore. At the ceremony, The King and President Shanmugaratnam will inspect the guard of honour, and the national anthems will be performed. Then The King will sign a guest book and the official delegations will be presented.
The President will then receive The King for bilateral talks.

Orchid naming ceremony, Singapore Botanic Gardens​

The King and Queen will take part in an orchid naming ceremony at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. In accordance with Singaporean tradition, a special hybrid orchid is produced and named after high-level visitors.

Lunch​

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife, Ms Ho Ching, will host a lunch for The King and Queen.

Marina Bay Sands​

At the top of the Marina Bay Sands resort, with panoramic views of the city and the Singapore Strait, The King and Queen will receive a presentation of Singapore's history, geography and significance to global trade.

Marina Barrage​

The King and Queen, Ms Malmer Stenergard and the state secretaries will then visit the Marina Barrage dam for a presentation and discussions on sustainability, with a focus on water issues.

State Banquet​

The President and First Lady will host a State Banquet in honour of The King and Queen at the Raffles Hotel.

Wednesday 20 November​

Singapore–Sweden Royal Business Forum​

Wednesday’s programme will begin with the Singapore–Sweden Royal Business Forum. Around 300 participants from the business sector, government agencies and academia will gather to discuss energy transfer, sustainable transport solutions, health and life sciences, and defence. The Singapore–Sweden Royal Business Forum is a continuation of a number of major business events between Sweden and Singapore and its surrounding region in recent years. The aim is to strengthen engagement and cooperation on innovation driven by digitalisation and the green transition.

Business lunch​

The King and Queen and Ms Malmer Stenergard will attend a lunch with representatives of the Swedish and Singaporean business sectors.

Symposium on health care​

The Queen will attend the Singapore-Sweden Partnership: Empowering Innovation in Healthcare symposium, involving leading experts and researchers from Singapore and Sweden. The symposium will look at how innovation can help improve health and medical care and how cooperation between the two countries can be strengthened. Singapore’s Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung will also attend. Following words of welcome by The Queen and Mr Kung, a memorandum of understanding in the area of health will be signed by Ms Söderström and Singapore’s Permanent Secretary (Policy and Development) Lai Wei Lin.

Peranakan Museum​

The Queen will visit the Peranakan Museum. The museum is home to one of the finest and most extensive collections of Peranakan artefacts in South-East Asia. The Peranakan culture exists throughout South-East Asia and is expressed in design, architecture, food and family traditions.

IISS Raffles Lecture​

Ms Malmer Stenergard will give a lecture on the theme of Strengthening Cross-Regional Security: Sweden and the Indo-Pacific with The King and Queen in attendance. The IISS Raffles Lectures are arranged by the independent International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). The lectures aim to inspire informed public debate on matters of regional and international importance.

Reception​

The King and Queen will give a reception for their hosts and invited guests at Clifford Pier.

Thursday 21 November​

Brani Island​

At Brani Island, The King and Queen will be shown the fire-fighting vessel Red Manta and examples of how search and rescue missions are undertaken in the Singapore Strait, one of the world’s most trafficked commercial waterways.

PSA – Pasir Panjang Terminal​

The King and Queen will visit PSA at the Pasir Panjang Terminal, the major port in Singapore with a handling capacity of 34 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU).

Meeting with the Prime Minister​

The King will meet with Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, with the Swedish ministers and state secretaries in attendance.

Lunch and panel discussions at Nanyang Technological University​

The King and Queen and Mr Jevrell will attend a lunch at Nanyang Technological University, hosted by University President Professor Ho Teck Hua. In connection with the lunch, a panel discussion on the use of artificial intelligence in education, business and the public sector, moderated by Sharanjit Leyl, will take place.

Meeting with expatriate Swedes​

The King and Queen and Ms Malmer Stenergard will meet with expatriate Swedes in Singapore at a reception held at the residence of the Ambassador of Sweden, hosted by Ambassador Anders Sjöberg and his wife Ylva Sjöberg. The King and Ms Malmer Stenergard will both give speeches.

Gardens by the Bay​

The King and Queen will then visit the Gardens by the Bay and attend the inauguration of this year's Christmas exhibit. The gardens present the plant kingdom in a new way, from species in cool, temperate climates to tropical forests and habitats.

Satay by the Bay​

The day's programme will conclude with a visit by The King and Queen to Satay by the Bay for a presentation of Singapore’s unique hawker food culture.
The State Visit will conclude later in the evening, when The King and Queen leave Singapore.

King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia met journalists from Singapore at the Royal Palace.
The visiting journalists are on a temporary visit to Sweden, and will accompany the Royal Couple on the upcoming state visit to Singapore 19-21 November.

To mark Sweden’s inaugural State Visit to Singapore led by Their Majesties the King and Queen, the Embassy of Sweden aimed to create an unforgettable welcome for the royal couple.
Partnering with creative agency Forsman & Bodenfors Singapore, ComfortDelGro cabbies and their iconic blue and yellow taxis were mobilized into a synchronized formation of the Swedish national flag.
The synchronized flag formation was released as a welcome film.

The Queen's participation in the state visit to Singapore cancelled
Due to a severe respiratory infection, H.M. The Queen has decided not to accompany H.M. The King on the state visit to Singapore.
The Queen was looking forward to visiting Singapore with joy and regrets that she is unable to accompany her on the trip. However, out of consideration for the Singaporean hosts and the rest of the state visit delegation, the Queen chooses to remain in Sweden, so as not to risk exposing others to infection.
The Queen's planned individual program items are carried out by accompanying state secretaries and the Queen's First Lady of the Court.
 
What a pity that the queen is ill and unable to accompany the king!
 
The Queen's participation in the state visit to Singapore cancelled
Due to a severe respiratory infection, H.M. The Queen has decided not to accompany H.M. The King on the state visit to Singapore.
The Queen was looking forward to visiting Singapore with joy and regrets that she is unable to accompany her on the trip. However, out of consideration for the Singaporean hosts and the rest of the state visit delegation, the Queen chooses to remain in Sweden, so as not to risk exposing others to infection.
The Queen's planned individual program items are carried out by accompanying state secretaries and the Queen's First Lady of the Court.
I am sorry to hear that, and do hope the Queen is better soon. It is that time of the year unfortunately. Queen Camilla has been quite ill recently as well.
 
It won't be the same for the hosts of the engagements when Countess Hamilton turns up instead of the Queen.
 
Really sorry to hear that The Queen is unwell and unable to take part…

But we are in that time of the year, and she is no spring chicken anymore so it’s good that she is careful.
 
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I am sorry to hear that, and do hope the Queen is better soon. It is that time of the year unfortunately. Queen Camilla has been quite ill recently as well.
Its that time of the year unfortunately and the SV won't be the same minus the queen.
 
The state visit started with an official welcoming ceremony at the Parliament of Singapore.
Profimedia gallery


King Carl Gustaf and Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard attended an orchid naming ceremony at the National Orchid Garden in Singapore. The orchid is named 'Papilionanda King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden'.
EPA gallery

The Royal Court updates information about the state visit here:

Just hours before King Carl Gustaf and Queen Silvia were to get on the plane, the message came from doctors.
The Queen is too ill to go along.
- The decision was made on Sunday, after consultation with the chief physician, says Margareta Thorgren.
Queen Silvia remains but the king is in Singapore, despite the fact that he is not completely healthy either.
During the visit to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, the King told to the Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard that he has a cold.

The King's speech a the state banquet:

The King and the Minister for Foreign Affairs received a presentation on Singapore's history, geography and the location's importance to world trade on top of the iconic Marina Bay Sands.
Profimedia gallery

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and wife Jane Yumiko Ittogi welcome King Carl XVI Gustaf to a state banquet at the classic Raffles hotel in Singapore.
Profimedia gallery


King Carl Gustaf expressed his frustration over the climate crisis during a visit to Singapore's largest dam and water reservoir, the Marina Barrage. The King received a lecture about what awaits both Sweden and Singapore in the next 15 years if the world does not act.
The king, who is very committed to the climate issue and has been driving an electric car for many years, could not hold back.
- The problem is that we have all heard this before, says the King.
The King was immediately endorsed by Professor Benjamin Horton, director of the Earth Observatory of Singapore at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), who gave the presentation.
- You are absolutely right, your Majesty. We have heard it before, but perhaps not in the right way with the right message.

The King's speech at the state banquet on the first day
 
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It would have been nice if for example princess Madeleine could have accompanied her father - just like Alexandra once did for Luxembourg's state visit to Japan. However, maybe it was too short notice?!
 
It would have been nice if for example princess Madeleine could have accompanied her father - just like Alexandra once did for Luxembourg's state visit to Japan. However, maybe it was too short notice?!
Madeleine was scheduled to attend the World Childhood Foundation's Executive Committee meeting on Monday.

The second day has started:
King Carl Gustaf spoke at the Singapore–Sweden Royal Business Forum. Around 300 participants from the business sector, government agencies and academia gathered to discuss energy transfer, sustainable transport solutions, health and life sciences, and defence.
Profimedia gallery

The King's speech:


Chief of Navy Rear-Admiral Sean Wat hosted His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden to a visit and tour of the Singapore Navy Museum this afternoon, where he was also briefed on the close defence cooperation between Singapore and Sweden.

The King's speech at the return reception

The Swedish Embassy published photos from the first day


From the return reception on Wednesday evening:
Profimedia gallery

The Swedish Embassy published photos from the second day


********

Today, on the last day the King met Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Profimedia gallery
 
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It would have been nice if for example princess Madeleine could have accompanied her father - just like Alexandra once did for Luxembourg's state visit to Japan. However, maybe it was too short notice?!
first Alexandra was unmarried and did not have children at that time and second i guess it was no time as it was said the decision that the Queen would not go was taken barely at the last minute
 
The program included specific solo activities for the queen which our now undertaken by a member of staff - another member of the royal family woukd have been more appropriate but understandably hard to arrange on short notice.
 
The program included specific solo activities for the queen which our now undertaken by a member of staff - another member of the royal family woukd have been more appropriate but understandably hard to arrange on short notice.
I'd imagine it was just the short notice ,Victoria and Madeleine both have children.That really only leaves one of the king's sisters .
 
The program included specific solo activities for the queen which our now undertaken by a member of staff - another member of the royal family woukd have been more appropriate but understandably hard to arrange on short notice.
As the cancellation happened at very short notice it was likely not an option to throw in a replacement member… And with Victoria being busy with her military training, Sofia being pregnant in the 6:th month, Madeleine having already scheduled meetings and Christina having retired and only attends nobel and state visit banquets, it was probably not possible to send another female…

It’s a bit sad because it takes a lot of interest away from the state visit if it’s only about ”men in dark suit’s” all the time…
 
I'd imagine it was just the short notice ,Victoria and Madeleine both have children.That really only leaves one of the king's sisters .

Victoria is on a Special Appointments Training at the officer programme and has a very limited work schedule.

Today, on the last day of the visit, the King visited Brani Island. He was shown the fire-fighting vessel Red Manta and examples of how search and rescue missions are undertaken in the Singapore Strait, one of the world’s most trafficked commercial waterways.
Profimedia gallery

The King visited Nanyang Technological University.
Profimedia gallery

As part of a three-day state visit to Singapore, King Carl XVI Gustaf attended a lunch and panel discussion hosted by NTU, together with the Swedish royal delegation, government representatives, business leaders and NTU faculty and management. During the visit, NTU and Swedish institutions signed two agreements that further academic and research ties.
This is the King’s first visit to NTU. In 2019, His Royal Highness Prince Daniel of Sweden visited NTU to learn about NTU's innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives in medical technology.

The King visited the Gardens by the Bay and attended the inauguration of this year's Christmas exhibit.
Profimedia gallery

The Swedish Embassy about the last day of the visit

It has been a tight schedule for King Carl Gustaf in Singapore. The last day of the state visit had no less than eight program items in different places in the small island nation.
- You feel like a small ambassador for Sweden, says the king.


The banquet during the state visit was intended to showcase Singapore at its culinary best.
The king was treated to special drinks, snapper fish and kiwi sorbet.
In the background, the band played "Who can sail without wind" and Abba's "Dancing Queen".

The royal couple's own chef Magnus Villnow has been flown to Singapore for the Swedish reception during the state visit.
The king and queen have sampled parts of the menu and provided input, he says.
- The royal couple think this cheese is very fun to have with them. For both the king and the queen, it is important that it tastes and is as if it had been at home.


In connection with the Swedish State Visit, more than ten memorandums of understanding (MoU) have been concluded between our governments, government agencies, companies and universities.

Galleries
Getty Images
Getty Images

 
For a State Visits it is the King the most important. Queen Consorts on State Visits are only important for the dresses and jewels they are wearing.

Yes, but for the King and Queen, it is nicer to travel together, the King spoke about it with the media. He has said also before: "I always say that we have four eyes and four ears. It's better than two."

The King said that the Queen's absence "hasn't affected the state visit itself that much", but that the loss hasn't gone unnoticed on a personal level. For nearly fifty years, they have traveled the world together on behalf of the government.
(..)

The King inaugurated a Christmas-themed botanical exhibition at Gardens by the Bay, which celebrated the legacy of renowned Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus. (..)

The Royal Court published the video of the King's speech at the return reception:

The Court has also published many HQ photos at its media centre.
 
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Yes, but for the King and Queen, it is nicer to travel together, the King spoke about it with the media. He has said also before: "I always say that we have four eyes and four ears. It's better than two."

The King said that the Queen's absence "hasn't affected the state visit itself that much", but that the loss hasn't gone unnoticed on a personal level. For nearly fifty years, they have traveled the world together on behalf of the government.
(..)
I don't know the fuzz about this, of course it is sad to see the Queen not attending the state visit something she probably had looked much forward to.

But this is actually the fourth time the Queen is not accompanying her husband on a state visit abroad (also once a state visit to Sweden).

- Australia, 1982
- Poland, 1993
- Botswana, 2011 (some might remember the King's comment to a journalist's question that the Queen's ear had to be removed during surgery because she was so ill.)
 
I don't know the fuzz about this, of course it is sad to see the Queen not attending the state visit something she probably had looked much forward to.

But this is actually the fourth time the Queen is not accompanying her husband on a state visit abroad (also once a state visit to Sweden).

- Australia, 1982
- Poland, 1993
- Botswana, 2011 (some might remember the King's comment to a journalist's question that the Queen's ear had to be removed during surgery because she was so ill.)
She also had to bow out from parts of the state visit to France because she'd been taken ill.
 
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