Red-carpet welcome for William, Catherine in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine were greeted by crowds of cheering well-wishers Tuesday as they arrived in Singapore at the start of an Asia-Pacific tour.

The glamorous royal couple went from Singapore's airport to the city-state's Botanic Gardens for their first engagement of their nine-day visit, which will also take in Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

William, wearing a dark blue suit and light blue tie, and Catherine, in a short-sleeved, knee-length cream dress, chatted with staff as they toured the gardens and were presented with a specially bred orchid.

William was shown another orchid named after his late mother Princess Diana, who was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997. They were then taken to Singapore's grand, British colonial-era Raffles Hotel, where more than 100 people lined the gravel driveway and took pictures as the couple emerged from their car and stepped on to the red carpet.

AFP