Royal Inspiration Part Deux

In 2011,  I followed the news of The Royal Wedding with great interest. Then when it was announced the Cambridges were coming and to say I was beside myself with excitement would be an understatement of monumental proportions.

So I  set off to Gardens by the Bay in the hopes of meeting the royal couple with my mum and niece at the unearthly hour of 6:45am. We found a spot right against the barricades next to the Adeney family. As we had an extra bouquet of flowers, Mum handed one to Alice to give to the pretty princess.

After waiting for hours in the blazing sun, the royal tram came by and stopped right in front of us. The Duke walked in one direction, while the Duchess came over towards us. First she engaged Alice in conversation before making her was over to my My niece who was trembling with excitement as she handed the Duchess a hand-drawn pencil sketch.  Of the three of us, Mum did the most talking. 

Mum gave her a photo that I had taken of Princess Diana as well a copy of my children’s book Blow A Kiss. I raised my hand like a naughty schoolboy saying, "I took that photo. I wrote that book,'' and then I asked if I could shake her hand, which of course she said I could. With that, she smiled, waved, and moved off to meet the rest of the sweaty, screaming masses of royalists who were melting under the Singapore sun.

The Duchess accepts a copy of Blow A Kiss

A reporter later interviewed my mum about what she discussed and she was quoted in Hello and though she says that she was embarrassed by it, I think she was rather chuffed.

The Duchess holding her copy of my book Blow a Kiss +Raymond Liw

As there were no souvenirs commemorating the royal visit, I decided to write a children's book about it. I tried to self-publish the book before my publisher suggested making it part of my Sam, Sebbie, and Di-Di-Di series of books, and that's what I did. A year and a half after the royal couple's visit, the book was finally published! I dedicated it to Alice and Mikey Adeney and to a little guy named George Alexander Louis.

A few months after it was published, it was announced that the Duchess was expecting her second baby. So I started thinking about a  sequel that would be set in London and would include Prince George, his new sibling, and Lupo.

Thank you, everyone, for your support, and I can't wait for the new book to be out. I will be giving away a copy of the book once it is hot off the press. Check back for details.

Royal Inspiration

Some people may wonder why a Singapore-based author is writing children's books about the royals. I'm a royalist since my paternal grandmother was English, and both my grandfathers and my parents were educated in the United Kingdom. Royals have always fascinated me as I have always thought they stood for something noble, something good, and that has inspired me to write about them.

My first book featuring a royal character was about a fictitious child emperor in The Littlest Emperor. But let me take you back to the beginning of my very first encounter with an actual royal personage.

I was about 7 years old, and I accompanied his parents to watch my Uncle Philip play polo with the Prince of Wales in Singapore. My parents wisely prevented me from speaking to the Prince because all I wanted to ask was what it felt like to fall off a polo pony. 

I had my first glimpse of Princess Diana in 1981, right before she married the Prince of Wales.  I stood outside the gates of Buckingham Palace as she sped off to watch the ladies' finals at Wimbledon. 

It would be eight long years before I was to see her again.  But came within hand-shaking distance of her twice when the royal couple paid an official visit to Hong Kong in 1989. As you can tell from way back then, I did not have what it takes to be a royal press photographer, and I still don't.

 I finally had a chance to exchange a few words with the Princess in 1992 while I was in a college summer program with the University of Portland. Some of my classmates and I brought my visually impaired friend, Shannon, to meet the Princess of Wales at the Royal Opera House.  

We were so thrilled to have met her that we accidentally left Shannon behind at the tube station. After a few panicked minutes, I would say about ten, we found her in the lift, trying to find her way out of it!  To say she was not amused wouldn't be untrue.

Princess Diana shakes my hand. (I found this photo on the internet 23 years after
meeting her)

The next time I met the Princess was when she was attending a luncheon. By the time she departed, the flowers I brought for her were already wilting, yet she walked across the street to meet me. I was so nervous that I curtsied as she took my hand, and that elicited a giggle from the Princess.

A policeman later told me: “She’s not likely to forget you. No bloke has ever curtsied to the Princess.” Not wanting to end his summer program on such an awkward note, I accompanied my classmates to the Princess’s next public event at BAFTA at Piccadilly Circus.

Sure enough, when the Princess emerged, I started babbling like an incoherent baboon. Something along the cringe-worthy lines of  “You're so beautiful. I love you!” OK, I warned you it would be cringe-worthy.

She lowered her head (I was shorter than she was in heels) and gazed at me with those cornflower blue eyes, and smiled. I remember you. You’re so sweet. You gave me flowers last Tuesday.” Took the flowers from my hands and continued to smile sweetly as I stood there with my mouth agape until she departed several minutes later. Now, she didn’t have to say she remembered me, but that was the kind of person she was.

But it was to be another two decades before I even thought about writing about members of the Royal Family.

To be continued....

A Royal Adventure featured on Hello Online!

I'd just like to take the opportunity to thank Ms, Chloe Best and Hello online for featuring A Royal Adventure. I am thrilled to bits! Actually that would be an understatement. 


The book is due to hit the printing press in April and will be out in time for Charlotte's first birthday. The book, of course, is dedicated to the Princess in honour of the occasion. I am pledging my advance royalty payment to charity. Again thank you to Ms Best and Hello for everything!

Hello Online