Prince Edward and his wife Sophie have been enjoying a few days in Hong Kong in the first royal visit to the territory since it was returned to China in 1997. The Earl and Countess of Wessex arrived on Friday for a five-day trip to the former British colony.
"It is very nice to be back in Hong Kong," said the Prince. "It is always changing a lot in terms of the skyline, but that is inevitable." He and his wife are in the region to promote the International Award for Young People founded by his father, Prince Philip in 1956.
While it is Prince Edward’s third time in Hong Kong, it is the first for his wife. "It is beyond my expectations. The skyline is magnificent and the countryside is so beautiful," she said. "It is amazing that you can go from the city area to the countryside in a few minutes."
Prince Edward is chairman of the International Award Association, which has schemes in 100 countries. In Hong Kong it is called the Hong Kong Award for Young People. It boasts 50,000 participants, second only to Britain’s 250,000.
Monday evening the Prince is due to meet Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa before hosting a ceremony to set up the youth award programme in Macau.
While Edward and Sophie are clearly enjoying their time in Hong Kong, some locals say royal visits are less important these days. "The attraction will certainly be much less than before the handover," said Professor Joseph Yu-shek Cheng of the City University. "Some people who were important in the establishment of Hong Kong are having their titles removed from their name cards. That is definitely a telling sign."
"If Prince Edward walks down the street quietly not many people will recognise him."
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
