Oar-some! Prince William Wins Dragon Boat Race Ahead of Earthshot Prize Event in Singapore 

Prince William is putting all his energy into visiting Singapore.

On Tuesday night, the Prince of Wales, 41, will reveal the new winners of his annual Earthshot award. On Monday, however, he had a less formal event — he took to the oars of a dragon boat to take part in a race on the Kallang River against the backdrop of some of Singapore’s most iconic landmarks.

His efforts also paid off – the British Dragons Dragon Boat Racing Team came out on top in the race, which represents a sport dating back more than 2,000 years and involves a 22-member team crew made up of 20 oarsmen facing the bow of the boat, a bow drummer and the helmsman standing at the stern.

Prince William has revealed a significant family reason why Kate Middleton is not joining him on his trip to Singapore

Prince William talks to teammates on the Dragon Boat on Monday.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

At the fun event, Prince William was joined by a mixed-sex team representing 14 nationalities including eight Commonwealth countries (UK, Singapore, India, Nigeria/Malawi, Canada, Australia and South Africa). They were lined up against a team led by Kara Owen, the British High Commissioner to Singapore.

After his race across the water, the prince had breakfast with the British team and met four Singapore-based high commissioners from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Papua New Guinea. All these kingdoms consider their father, King Charles, as their head of state.

After the race, Prince William spent time on the diplomatic side of his visit holding an audience with Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the President of Singapore, and Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Prince William joins Dragon Boat training in Singapore on Monday.

MOHD RASFAN/AFP via Getty Images

Kate Middleton gives an unexpected answer when a child asks who she is during a visit to Scotland

Prince William’s office at Kensington Palace said he used the audience to “celebrate the importance of the shared ties between the UK and Singapore” and that it was an opportunity for him to thank Singapore for hosting the Earthshot Prize. The royal also outlined his long-term vision for Earthshot and used the meetings to “discuss where these intersect with Singapore’s own approach to the sustainability agenda”, the palace said.

Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to receive the latest news on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!

Prince William arrived in Singapore on Sunday night and said he was delighted to be back in the country he last visited with wife Kate Middleton in 2012.

“It’s fantastic to be back in Singapore for this year’s Earthshot Awards ceremony, after 11 years,” he said in a statement.

“Singapore’s bold vision to be at the forefront of environmental innovation sets a standard for others to follow,” he continued. “I am grateful to the people of Singapore for hosting us this week. May we all be inspired by the fantastic work being done here as we celebrate this year’s Earthshot Prize finalists.”

Prince William after today’s Dragon Boat Race in Singapore.

Chris Jackson/Getty Images

See the best photos of Kate Middleton and Prince William’s sports day in Scotland

Prince William’s first stop was a visit to Jewel, a nature-themed entertainment and shopping complex connected to one of the airport’s passenger terminals. Jewel, which opened in 2019, is known to house the world’s tallest indoor waterfall — the HSBC Rain Vortex — surrounded by terraced gardens and trees.

During a walk after seeing the falls, Prince William posed for selfies, received gifts from a crowd of well-wishers and let a curious 8-month-old baby suck his finger.

Later Monday, he attended the United for Wildlife Global Summit, a gathering of international leaders from conservation, government, law enforcement and the private sector to discuss solutions to combat the illegal wildlife trade.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education