KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — Britain’s Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Lady Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will visit Malaysia during their three nation tour next month.

Their 10-day tour will be the first to Singapore and Malaysia before they proceed to India, their second trip to the continent after 2013.

Their visits are expected to highlight shared priorities such as celebrating community, championing cultural diversity and business innovation.

There will also be a particular focus on education and youth opportunity; and on sustainability and conservation. 

Scheduled to arrive here on Nov 3, Charles and Camilla’s visit will begin with an official welcome ceremony at Istana Negara.

They will be later hosted to a Royal dinner to celebrate 60 years of Malaysia’s Independence and 60 years of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and Great Britain. 

The dinner will be attended by Malaysian dignitaries and senior figures from business, arts and the media, who contributed to the vibrant relationship between both nations.

The programme also includes a celebration of the Commonwealth in a lead-up to the Commonwealth Summit in London next year.

Charles and Camilla will then visit Sarawak where they will meet representatives of indigenous communities.

Charles will see first-hand the work being done to preserve the region’s extraordinary biodiversity and to protect some its most endangered species. Camilla will meet the team at Purple Lily, a non-governmental organisation that works to empower disadvantaged women and girls by providing life-skills training and financial education. 

The couple will conclude their visit to Malaysia in Penang, visiting George Town, named after his grandfather King George III. 

They will have the opportunity to meet members of different religious communities in the historic city centre, and also experience the rich cultural heritage of George Town and historic buildings Unesco designated as World Heritage sites. 

Their visit to Penang will include a stop at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base at Butterworth which will showcase the vital collaboration in the region between the armed forces of the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. 

Charles and Camilla’s official programme, available over the royal website states the tour will begin in Singapore on Oct 31, where they will receive an official welcome from President Halimah Yacob at a ceremony at the Istana — the official residence of the President of Singapore. The couple will also meet Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, and will be Guests of Honour at an official dinner. 

During their visit to the island Republic, the couple will meet leaders from Singapore’s 10 national religions to hear how Singapore’s diverse ethnic and religious communities work together to address shared challenges. 

Charles will also meet representatives of British companies in Singapore to see how the UK-Singapore innovation partnership is promoting prosperity in both countries.

They will also attend a wreath-laying ceremony to acknowledge the sacrifices made by British, Singaporean and Commonwealth personnel during the two World Wars and other conflicts.

The couple are scheduled to arrive in India on Nov 8, where the highlight will be their meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

They will also undertake a number of engagements to underscore the strength and vitality of the UK-India relationship and the rich exchange of ideas between countries, in particular to celebrate the vibrancy of their cultural collaboration — UK-India Year of Culture. 

Across the days of their tour, the couple will undertake almost 50 engagements which will showcase the breadth and depth of the United Kingdom’s relationship with these key Commonwealth partners, ahead of the Commonwealth Summit in London in April, next year. 

Media reports last month said an official visit to Myanmar was being suggested for the trip, which the prince was undertaking on behalf of the British government, and aides acknowledged it had been considered as part of the schedule.

But it was omitted from the final programme issued yesterday. 

"We looked at a range of options in the region and, as we’re announcing today, we’re going ahead with the visit to Singapore and Malaysia,” Philip Malone, Deputy Head of Department at Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office told reporters.