What the Queen did in her grand total of three visits
Despite living to the ripe old age of 96, Queen Elizabeth II’s death was still a shock to many. She’s now known as one of the long-reigning monarchs in the world, having ascended to the British throne since 1953 – even our parents came into this world with her portrait printed on our banknotes.
During her time as a monarch, she visited Singapore a grand total of three times: the years 1972, 1989, and 2006. From Singapore’s first restored conservation shophouse to a heartland primary school, these are seven present-day places that Queen Elizabeth II has stepped foot in.
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As the very first HDB estate in Singapore, Toa Payoh was the lucky few to be visited by the Queen herself. In fact, she strolled through the void deck of Block 53, Lorong 5 and even visited a local family’s flat. We even have it on good authority that she went all the way up to the rooftop viewing gallery to get a panoramic view of all HDB flats in the area – the 19-story building was one of the tallest at that time.
Traditional Chinese teahouses aren’t exactly the IG-worthy cafés of our day, but Tea Chapter is a true relic. Not only is it the first pre-war shophouse to have been carefully restored in the late 80s but it’s also been visited by heavyweights and dignitaries alike: the Queen Elizabeth II and our own PM Lee Hsien Loong have stepped through these very doors. At Tea Chapter, you’ve got three different spaces: “Oriental” where Queen Elizabeth had first sipped on an Imperial Golden Cassia tea, “Japanese” on the third floor with low wooden tables, and “Korean” with curtains hung for privacy.
No one expects a heartland primary school to have been on the Queen’s travel itinerary, but she made a visit to Townsville Primary School back in 1989. It was just a three-day state visit at the invitation of President and Mrs Wee Kim Wee, but boy, did she pack a lot of activities in her time here. You can see that everyone was revved up for her visit, with students performing cultural dances and acts – there was even a mini display of a lion dance.
Our version of the White House, Istana is home to the President of Singapore – it opens its grounds for free to the public on special occasions including National Day, Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Puasa. The Queen first visited these grounds back in 1989 and was accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip. Then President Wee Kim Wee and his wife played host and they even threw a stage banquet in her honour.
As far as heritage hotels go, The Fullerton Hotel takes a cake. What once used to be the General Post Office is now a grand dame building sitting on the prime waterfront stretch of Collyer Quay. It first came about in 1928 – which interestingly, is just a year before Queen Elizabeth II’s birth year – and it’s at this heritage building where she first met Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, clad in a vibrantly green skirt suit and matching feathered hat.
During the same three-day visit of 1989, the Queen also headed down to Kranji War Memorial to pay her respects – laying down a wreath in memory of the soldiers who died in the early days of the Japanese Occupation. The serried rows of 4,000 white gravestones at this peaceful hillside cemetery have a serene, if solemn beauty. Two tombs of the first two presidents of Singapore are here too.
Contrary to popular belief, Queen Elizabeth II didn’t just sip tea and nibble on crumpets, but she also went down to a local zi char (cooked to order) restaurant. It was first located at Cantonment Road, and that’s where the Queen must have tried popular local dishes like chilli crab and Cantonese claypot, but the restaurant has since shifted to Kitchener Road. To this day, they still proudly have a framed photograph of the Queen visiting hanging in the restaurant.
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