Prince William, Kate see Princess Diana orchid in Singapore

( CBS News) SINGAPORE- Prince William and his wife Kate saw an orchid named for his late mother. Princess Diana, in Singapore on Tuesday, 15 years after she was to have viewed the flower herself.

Diana was due to visit the white orchid named in her honor in 1997, but was killed in a car crash two weeks earlier.

Pictures: Royal visit to Singapore
Pictures: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

William stared at its delicate flowers, saying, "It's beautiful, it's beautiful."

Manager Alan Tan Chye Soon said he was preparing for Diana's visit when the car crash occurred.

"It was so sad that she never saw it. It is one of our favorite orchids, and most popular," he said. "It was like William and Kate are fulfilling her promise today."

The royal couple was also shown an orchid with white and purple blooms that is jointly named for them.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's visit to Singapore Botanic Gardens was their first stop on a nine-day tour of the Far East and South Pacific.

Kate wore a pale floral kimono style dress by Jenny Packham to the gardens but later changed into a white and purple sheath by Singapore-born designer Prabal Gurung for a visit to the Presidential Palace where they had dinner with president Tony Tan Keng Yam, and his wife.

The couple will also visit the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu in honor of the queen's Diamond Jubilee marking her 60 years on the throne.