Prince William arrives in Singapore for Asia-Pacific tour

Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine arrived in Singapore on Tuesday to kick off a Southeast Asian and Pacific tour marking Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.

The nine-day trip through Singapore, Malaysia, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu will feature sentimental stops as well as the former Kate Middleton’s first overseas speech as she settles into her duties with the British monarchy.

The glamorous couple’s first visit will be to Singapore’s Botanic Gardens, where an orchid will be named after them – an honour reserved for world-famous people and VIP visitors.

The orchid garden also has flowers named after the queen, who last visited Singapore in 2006, and William’s mother Princess Diana, who died in a 1997 car crash in Paris.

Britain’s younger royals are touring the globe this year as part of celebrations marking the 60-year reign of William’s grandmother as the queen as they seek to maintain the family’s relevance in a rapidly changing world.

The royals also played a prominent role during the London Olympics but they suffered a public relations hiccup when William’s younger brother, Harry, was photographed nude with a female friend at a Las Vegas hotel.