Carl Gustaf and Silvia welcomed Singapore’s president by carriage

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam of Singapore and his wife Jane Ittogi are on a state visit to Sweden from Monday to Wednesday. The King and Queen received them at the Royal Stables, and the party travelled by state carriage through Stockholm to the palace. This year marks 60 years of diplomatic relations between Sweden and Singapore.

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam of Singapore and his wife Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam arrived in Stockholm on Monday. They are on a state visit until Wednesday, at the invitation of King Carl XVI Gustaf.

The president is accompanied by representatives of the Singaporean government and business community.

The King and Queen greeting the president and his wife outside the Royal Stables — The presidential couple were received by the King and Queen at the Royal Stables. Photo: Ida Åkesson / SPA

The King and the president getting into a state carriage — The King and President Tharman take their seats in the Seven-Glass Carriage. Photo: Ida Åkesson / SPA

By carriage through Stockholm

As is always done for a state visit to Sweden, they met first at the Royal Stables. From there the party travelled in procession up to the Royal Palace.

The King and the president rode in the Seven-Glass Carriage, a state carriage with seven glass panes. Queen Silvia and Mrs Tharman travelled in the Royal Stables' Daimler.

The Queen and the president\u2019s wife in an older dark car — The Queen and Mrs Tharman travelled in the Royal Stables\u2019 Daimler. Photo: Ida Åkesson / SPA

The procession of horses and carriages approaching the palace — The procession approaches the palace via Norrbro. Photo: Clément Morin

Anthems and a guard of honour

The welcome ceremony was held in the inner courtyard of the palace. It began with the national anthems, after which the King and the president inspected a grenadier company from the Life Guards.

The presidential couple then greeted representatives of parliament and government.

Inside the Victoria Drawing Room the guests were welcomed by Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel and Prince Carl Philip.

The King in uniform talking with the president during the ceremony — The King and President Tharman during the welcome ceremony. Photo: Clément Morin

The royal family and the presidential couple lined up in a palace room — The royal family with the presidential couple in the Bernadotte apartments. Photo: Clément Morin

"Sixty years of diplomatic relations"

In Lovisa Ulrika's dining room the King and the president gave press statements.

"As our countries celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations, this State visit is an opportunity to reflect on our close partnership. But also, to advance cooperation in areas that will shape our future," the King said.

The King speaking to the press with flags behind him — The King spoke to the press about the sixty years. Photo: Clément Morin

Ceramics, design and technology

While the president met the Speaker of parliament, Andreas Norlén, and later Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Queen Silvia and Mrs Tharman visited the Nationalmuseum with Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand. There they saw the exhibition "Ceramics Across Borders", with works by the Swedish Wilhelm Kåge and the Japanese Shōji Hamada.

Later they went to the Beckmans College of Design, where they heard about the school's work on sustainability, social challenges, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, and met students of fashion, product design and visual communication.

In the afternoon the King and the president took part in a round table on technology cooperation at Ericsson, with Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard.

The Queen and the president\u2019s wife being welcomed at the museum — The Queen and Mrs Tharman are welcomed to the Nationalmuseum. Photo: Sara Friberg, The Royal Court of Sweden

Lunch and a gala dinner

At midday the King and Queen hosted a private lunch for the presidential couple in Princess Sibylla's apartment at the palace. The Crown Princess couple, the Prince couple, Princess Madeleine and Christopher O'Neill also attended.

On Monday evening there is a gala dinner in Karl XI's gallery in the palace's state apartments.

What the visit is about

The aim of the state visit is to strengthen relations between Sweden and Singapore and to open the way for more trade and investment. The areas named are research-based innovation, new technology linked to critical infrastructure, and the digital and green transition.

The two countries will also talk more closely about security policy, including how critical infrastructure can be protected and made secure for the future.