Day Five of the Autumn Tour: Malaysia

The Prince of Wales began the first full day of his maiden visit to Malaysia by touring the national Islamic Arts Museum with the ruler of the state of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, the deputy Agong.

The Prince has a passionate interest in Islamic art, and has been learning to read and write the language for around six years.

His Royal Highness told the guests who included members of a number faiths: "For me, ladies and gentlemen, this museum serves as a reminder of just how important it is that all societies are able to preserve - and be proud of - their cultural heritage.

“I am particularly delighted that the Museum has such strong connections with my own School of Traditional Arts which itself aims to ensure that traditional arts and skills continue to enrich our changing world.”

The Prince of Wales then went on to meet young entrepreneurs, tech savvy school children showcasing

projects, and established businesses during his tour of WORQ - -a co-working space for start-up companies.

In the afternoon, His Royal Highness visited The University of Nottingham’s Malaysia campus to open the Commonwealth Youth Summit – and received a very warm welcome!

Meanwhile, The Duchess of Cornwall completed her own set of engagements, first of all visiting the International School ParkCity. Here, Her Royal Highness toured the campus and officially opened the new building by signing a commemorative plaque.

The Duchess then met students who were engaging in a creative writing workshop for The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition.

 In the afternoon, Her Royal Highness visited PERMATA Negara. The PERMATA programmes were founded by the First Lady of Malaysia with the objective of providing a platform that enables children to achieve their potential through cultural learning.

The Duchess met children who were decorating flower eggs and watched cultural performances by the students. 

The Prince and The Duchess together then went to meet The King of Malaysia. Their Royal Highnesses joined His Majesty The Yang di-Pertuan Agong XV Sultan Muhammad V at Istana Negara, his official residence.

After a busy day of engagements, the day was rounded off with a Gala Dinner to celebrate 60 years of UK-Malaysia diplomatic ties. The dinner drew around 550 guests representing Malaysian politics, business, media and culture.

Here, the Prince of Wales delivered a speech, which can be read in full below.