Low key affair for royal couple at Queenstown

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It will be a low-key affair when Prince William and Catherine Middleton visit Queenstown next week.

The royal couple will be in Singapore from September 11 to September 13, and besides Queenstown, they will also visit the Gardens by the Bay and the Botanic Gardens.

Checks with grassroots leaders of Strathmore Green in Queenstown found that they will not be stringing up special decorations like Union Jack bunting, nor lining corridors with flag-waving residents.

Instead, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be greeted by a small group of official representatives and residents and taken on a quick tour of the estate. They want to present an authentic slice of HDB life to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Once the Duke and Duchess arrive in their convoy of about eight cars on Wednesday afternoon, they will be greeted by a Chinese lion dance, Malay kompang troupe and Indian cultural dancers.

The royal couple only has 30 minutes penciled in for the trip to the estate.

They will be given a quick tour by the chairman of HDB, Mr James Koh. The Member of Parliament for the area, Ms Indranee Rajah, and fellow Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Dr Chia Shi-Lu will also be part of the welcome team. So will PA chief executive director Mr Yam Ah Mee.

As they walk around the estate, they’ll get to watch community groups performing taichi and silat, and meet some residents.

Mr Mah said they have asked a small number of residents to attend, including Chinese, Indian and Malay families, and are arranging for younger residents to present Kate some mementoes.

He said the group will be kept small because of security concerns, and also because not many residents would be around at that time to attend, as most would be at work or school.

And why Strathmore Green in Queenstown?

Part of it is history. Queenstown was originally named after Queen Elizabeth II, to mark her coronation in 1953, said HDB.

Another is simply that some of the newest blocks of HDB flats are in Strathmore Green. It also has a good representative mix of elderly residents and young families.