12112025 The Princess Royal laid a wreath during Service of Remembrance at the Kranji War Cemetery CREDIT PA — The Princess Royal laid a wreath during the service of Remembrance at the Kranji War Cemetery (Picture: PA)

Royals

Princess Anne pays tribute to fallen troops in Singapore before visit to HMS Spey

Princess Anne has laid a wreath at Kranji War Cemetery and met Royal Navy personnel as she marked 60 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Singapore.

As president of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, she joined British and Singaporean veterans for a minute’s silence at the cemetery, the final resting place of more than 4,400 Commonwealth casualties of the Second World War.

Colonel Eddie Maskell-Pedersen, the UK's Defence Adviser to Singapore, opened the short service, describing it as “an honour” to welcome the Princess Royal.

An extract from For the Fallen was read by Commander Tim Curnock of the Royal Navy before wreaths were laid by representatives of the Singapore Armed Veterans' League and Sandbag charity.

12112025 Service medals belonging to Singaporean and British veterans on display during Princess Anne's visit to Singapore CREDIT PA — Service medals belonging to Singaporean and British veterans were on display during Princess Anne's visit to Singapore (Picture: PA)

Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, who accompanied his wife on the visit, laid a separate wreath for his relative, Midshipman James Bremridge, who died aged 18 when HMS Repulse was sunk by Japanese aircraft in 1941.

Later, Princess Anne visited HMS Spey, the fifth of the Royal Navy's second-generation River-class offshore patrol vessels,

The ship, currently alongside in Singapore for maintenance, has been operating across the region since 2021.

12112025 The Princess Royal meet the crew on the bridge during a tour of HMS Spey CREDIT PA — The Princess Royal met the crew on the bridge during a tour of HMS Spey (Picture: PA)

Princess Anne presented awards to Warrant Officers James Burton and Jason Proctor, and watched a demonstration of a Skyports drone delivering a care package to the ship.

Addressing the crew, she said: "Thank you very much for your hospitality today, I hope it isn't interrupting too much in what is a pretty busy period for you getting back on board and a system which seems to work well for this ship and for this ship's company.

"I hope you all find that this is a really interesting role to have. In a way you never quite know what's coming from day to day.

"You have to make the ship work and you do so thank you very much for that."

She added: "It's very nice to be able to have a chance to catch up with a ship that is fundamentally all over the place. Maybe that's what attracts you and gives you satisfaction.

"Many congratulations to you on this ship, its turnout and what you achieve with her."