Princess Anne becomes first royal to get rare honour in Seoul

Princess Anne, who is on a three-day visit in South Korea to strengthen ties between the two nations, had the opportunity to take on a rare honour.

King Charles’s sister along with her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence was welcomed by President Lee Jae Myung at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday.

Anne had returned to the country eight years after her first visit which had been for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics as a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Now, Anne is here to discuss the trade, security and diplomatic relations that South Korea and UK share. And to honour the royal guests, Anne had the opportunity to receive a special replica of an art piece on Wednesday.

The President of Korea University Professor, Kim Dong-one an English copy of Dasan Jeong Yak-yong’s Plum Blossom System (Maehwa Byeongjedo), which is owned by the Korea University Museum, as a gift to Princess Anne.

“We look forward to more active joint research and human exchanges between universities in the two countries,” he said.

The replica is a museum-grade, 1:1 scale replica crafted on genuine silk, recreating a cherished 1813 masterpiece from the Korea University Museum collection by Jeong Yak-yong.

The royal was understood to be touched by the gesture.