Prince Harry impressed Singaporeans of Muslim faith with a two-day trip to the country. The royal ate with a Muslim community during their daily break on Sunday’s Ramadan fasting. Harry was visiting the community and an organization called Jamiyah Singapore.
The organization offers community outreach, assisting recovering addicts and even helping young people get into residential homes.
The evening meal, during the time of Ramadan, is celebrated after sunset, with those in attendance waiting until 7:11 pm for the evening meal. The attendees were all sitting in silence before the room lit up, as Prince Harry sat with locals and was seen eating a date and the evening porridge.
Harry’s goal was to meet with the young people in the community. The royal acted with respect, bowing his head before he spoke. Local girls sprinkled flower petals on the ground for Harry to walk on during his way to a martial arts demonstration.
Harry was in Singapore to help promote his own event, raising funds for Sentebale Polo Cup on Monday.
The prince used his time in Singapore to also highlight the growing concern of HIV in the country. He spoke about the issue moments after getting tested for the disease. When he arrived at a mobile testing center, he was greeted with a Union flag hanging at half-mast to celebrate the lives of the victims of the recent London terrorist attacks.
A council member for Singapore’s Muslim Youth Ambassador of Peace (MYAP) summed up the evening perfectly when she said, “I was confused how to behave and how to act. I even started rehearsing what to say.”
Prince Harry was a big hit at the event, with many people saying they “forgot he was a royal.”
The prince also bowed his head with about 80 people in a sign of remembrance for the seven people killed in the London attacks on Sunday.
