Anne praises ‘extraordinary’ work of Save the Children in Sri Lanka

The Princess Royal has praised the “extraordinary” work of Save the Children in Sri Lanka as she began a tour celebrating the UK’s ties with the Commonwealth nation.

Anne’s first day in South East Asia began with the royal carrying some of her bags down the steps of the plane before starting a busy round of engagements marking the 75th anniversary of Britain’s diplomatic links with Sri Lanka.

She has been patron of Save the Children UK since 1970 – the first major charity to be associated with the King’s sister – and her only previous official visit to Sri Lanka in 1995 saw her open its national headquarters in Colombo.

After unveiling a plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary of Save the Children working in Sri Lanka, she gave an impromptu speech to staff and guests at the charity’s Colombo HQ, who included her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.

Anne said: “It’s a real pleasure to return to Sri Lanka and the chance to visit Save the Children’s (headquarters) and underline the fact you have been doing extraordinary work here for 50 years.

The Princess Royal unveils a plaque during a visit to Save the Children’s HQ in Colombo, Sri Lanka (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

“And I know, because when I came before it was slightly different, things have changed a lot. But the very fact that you are here and seen as valuable partners to the government and the departments – that says a lot for what you’ve achieved…

“So a big thank you to all those who have been part of that journey, thank you all very much.”

The main focus of the charity’s work has been supporting the Sri Lankan government’s schools food programme, with the organisation feeding up to 95,000 pupils a day in more than 850 schools, running a child protection initiative and a mental health project alongside other schemes.

When Save the Children workers welcomed Anne with a namaste greeting, clasping their palms together, she returned the gesture and chatted to others about the project to feed schoolchildren and was told dishes featured regional food.

The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence engage with a group of children and staff using a social-emotional learning toolkit for children during a visit to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children in Colombo (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

Later Anne toured the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children, a major paediatric teaching unit, to watch youngsters learning about the charity’s social-emotional learning toolkit programme, Tilli, which uses games and storytelling to help adults discuss issues such as trust, bodies and boundaries with children.

The first stop of Anne’s three-day tour of Sri Lanka was a visit to the factory of MAS, a company producing sportswear and active lifestyle clothing – including tops for tennis star Novak Djokovic.

It has also been manufacturing underwear and lingerie for Marks & Spencer for 30 years, and the princess was shown some of the garments by Jehan Jayasuriya, chief marketing officer for MAS Intimates, and held a bra cup as they chatted.

She was shown the polo shirt made for Djokovic for last year’s Australian Open, featuring material bonded rather than stitched together to remove seams and thus reduce friction during his intense training sessions.

Anne is president of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, and she heard about the efforts of MAS, which works with Loughborough University to develop its cutting-edge sports clothing, to create sustainable products.

Andrew Patrick, British high commissioner to Sri Lanka, was among the dignitaries who formally welcomed the princess when she first arrived at an airport on the outskirts of Colombo and said afterwards: “This visit is the best possible way to mark 75 years of diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka.”

The Princess Royal arrives at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

In 1948 Sri Lanka, then Ceylon, gained its independence after more than a century of British rule.

Anne will undertake engagements and meet local communities and faith groups in the capital Colombo, the city of Kandy in the centre of Sri Lanka, and Jaffna on the northern tip of the island, home to many of the country’s Tamil community, from Wednesday to Friday.

Mr Patrick added: “That’s the aim, to show her as much of the country, as much of the diversity as we can, and we think it’s the first visit by a member of the royal family to Jaffna, certainly in many, many years, so that will be historic.”