Princess Anne found herself in an awkward diplomatic moment during a working visit to Singapore, when a newly-named orchid dedicated to King Charles III and Queen Camilla was positioned beside another bloom dedicated to Diana, Princess of Wales.
The naming ceremony at the National Orchid Garden in Singapore, held as part of the UK-Singapore celebrations marking 60 years of diplomatic ties, placed the Princess Royal in a position of remaining publicly silent.
The scenario unfolded during Anne’s third engagement of the day, when she was presented with a purple orchid in her honour.
The event formed part of what Singapore promotes as its “orchid diplomacy” – the practice of naming a variety after visiting dignitaries or heads of state to symbolise friendships.
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Anne then toured the garden’s VIP orchid display, which included the two plants in question. One bore the name of the King and Queen, the other that of Diana.
While Anne carried out her duties with customary precision, royal watchers note that the juxtaposition of the two orchid tributes carried a subtle tension.
The plant named after Charles and Camilla was placed adjacent to that honouring Diana, the princess still regarded with immense public affection.
Princess Diana's marriage to Charles ended publicly in 1996, just one year before her tragic death.
Princess Anne ‘speechless’ as plant named after Charles and Camilla is placed next to similar one for Diana
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The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence during a visit to the National Orchid Garden for the naming ceremony of the 'Dendrobium Anne' orchid
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The ceremony highlighted not only horticultural diplomacy but the extent to which royal engagements can carry layers of meaning beyond the official line.
The Times reported: "If she had views on the questionable 'orchid diplomacy' of a plant named after the King and Queen positioned alongside another named after Diana, Princess of Wales, she kept them to herself."
Anne’s trip to Singapore took place from November 12-13, 2025, in her capacity as representing the United Kingdom as part of a diplomatic mission alongside her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
Her engagements included audiences with Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, a visit to the UK-patrolled ship HMS Spey docked at Tuas Port, and, of course, the orchid-naming ceremony itself.
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Charles and Camilla viewed a plant named after them in 2017 during a visit to the National Botanical Gardens, Singapore
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As part of her appearance in the National Orchid Garden, Anne changed into a floral-patterned skirt, a deliberate nod to the sensitive setting of plants and diplomacy.
The skirt was among her long-worn pieces, reflecting her habit of up-cycling outfits — one trouser suit on the trip had first been worn in 1973.
For Anne, the visit to Singapore reinforced her reputation as one of the hardest-working royals, committed to duty and detail.
The Princess Royal's visit coincided with her younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, being stripped of his royal titles by King Charles.
An orchid named Dendrobium memoria Princess Diana at the National Orchid Garden in Singapore
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According to the Times, Princess Anne was meeting Royal Navy personnel on the other side of the world as officials in London moved to strip Andrew of his royal titles.
Princess Anne boarded the British patrol ship HMS Spey at Tuas Port, where she joined around 60 servicemen and women for tea and a relaxed catch-up.
The patrol vessel has been deployed in the Indo-Pacific since 2021 and was alongside in Singapore for maintenance during the visit.
According to the report, the gathering on board Spey took place while the King and the Ministry of Defence were in the process of stripping Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of his Princely title and Dukedom of York.