Princess Anne calls on President Ranil Wickremesinghe

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, the Princess Royal of the United Kingdom accompanied by her spouse Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, who are on a three-day official visit to Sri Lanka, met with President Ranil Wickremesinghe at the President’s House a short while ago.

The visiting royals engaged in friendly conversation with President Wickremesinghe and Prof. Maithree Wickremesinghe. Princess Anne marked the occasion by signing the special guest commemorative book at the President’s House.

Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Health State Minister Dr. Sita Arambepola, President’s Secretary Saman Ekanayake, and Chief of Defence Staff General Shavendra Silva were also present at the event.

The Princess Royal and her spouse arrived in Sri Lanka this afternoon for a three-day visit. The visit comes as Sri Lanka and the UK mark 75 years of diplomatic relations. During the visit, The Princess Royal is scheduled to undertake engagements in Colombo, Kandy and Jaffna.

Earlier today, The Princess Royal toured the MAS Holdings Nirmaana facility and heard about their innovative excellence in product creation and development for strategic international partners, including British brands like Marks & Spencer.

As patron of Save the Children UK, The Princess Royal also met and thanked staff at the Save the Children offices in Colombo for the work they do to support humanitarian needs across Sri Lanka. She received a briefing on their work and celebrated their 50th year of operations in Sri Lanka.

Princess Anne last visited Sri Lanka nearly 30 years ago in 1995 as patron of Save the Children to see projects supported by the charity.

Princess Anne was welcomed to Sri Lanka today with a dazzling performance by traditional dancers as she walked down the plane’s steps at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake. 

She’s been joined by her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, 68, for the start of a three-day visit celebrating the UK’s ties with the South Asian Island. The trip is the royal family’s first overseas tour of 2024.

A large group of dancers and musicians performed for the couple with drummers playing a hypnotic beat in the hot and humid conditions.

The princess is visiting the country at the request of the Foreign Office and will begin a whistle-stop tour to mark the UK’s bilateral relations with the nation, including a meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe and First Lady Maithree Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister, Ali Sabry and British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick were among the dignitaries who formally welcomed the princess at the airport. 

--With inputs from agencies