Stepping into the grand residence of the British High Commissioner to Singapore I was expecting a formal, British stiff upper-lip experience. But, on arriving at Eden Hall and meeting lovely and down-to-earth KARA OWEN this preconceived idea was immediately dispelled. Instead, at 28 Nassim Road I found a working house designed to welcome British expats and locals alike. A place dedicated to strengthening diplomatic ties between nations. And a warm home for Kara, her husband William and their two daughters. As Kara’s posting in Singapore has now ended, we were keen to chat with her and take a look inside before she left.
Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey to becoming the British High Commissioner to Singapore.
When I was growing up in West Cumbria, I never imagined that in June 2019 I’d be presenting a letter of credentials from Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to President Halimah Yacob of Singapore, marking the moment when I officially became British High Commissioner.
It was my history teacher who first suggested to me at age 16 to become a diplomat. I wasn’t 100 percent sure what the job was, so I looked it up and from that time and through university, the idea was worming away in the back of my mind. It became the only thing I wanted to do. So, I was delighted when I managed to secure a spot in the diplomatic service at 22. Since then I have worked in the consular directorate, on economic reform in Russia, on the European Union and the Americas. And I have had postings in Hong Kong, Hanoi and Paris before becoming High Commissioner to Singapore. I was incredibly lucky that I also learned Cantonese, Vietnamese and French along the way.
What does the role of British High Commissioner to Singapore involve?
Broadly, I am here to progress the interests of the British government, British businesses and organisations and British people in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Every day, my team and I are working to increase UK prosperity and security as well as deliver mutual benefits from our partnership with Singapore.
Day to day, it’s almost impossible to describe the job. The best part is that no two days are the same. I could be speaking at a seminar organised by the British Chamber of Commerce on how to accelerate digitised trade, then having a meeting with a company about how we can support them in selling their green tech products. Or working to secure investments into UK companies from this part of the world. I could be in the Foreign Ministry sharing analysis and ideas on a conflict or other issue, or I could be trying to bring together UK and Singapore universities for research into exciting areas such as AI and space.
Every day, I get exposure to the brightest of minds and leaders in their fields. My job is to work out how to put people together to drive positive value. It’s a huge privilege. Oh, and I get to meet very cool people. Like Nobel Prize winner Didier Queloz or Juergen Klopp or HRH The Prince of Wales, or current and former Prime Ministers and Ministers.
As the most senior representative of a country in another, Ambassadors and High Commissioners can often be exposed to money-can’t-buy experiences. Being on aircraft carriers, sitting behind the new Singapore Ministers at the swearing in of Prime Minister Wong, or getting shown around groundbreaking new technology, research or infrastructure. For someone who comes from an ordinary background it can be an incredibly humbling experience Those moments are what I call “pinch me” moments. I feel very lucky.
You live and work in Eden Hall. Tell us about the history of this incredible building.
It was built in 1904 by Ezekiel Manasseh. He moved into it with his wife and stepchildren in 1913 and, apart from the period of occupation when they were interned in Changi prison, the family lived here until 1957. That was when it was sold to the British government. In 1965, when Singapore gained independence, it became the home of the British High Commissioner. And it has remained so ever since. You can imagine the kind of people who have walked the tiles over the years – Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Lee Kuan Yew, King Charles III, so many of our prime ministers, David Beckham, Henry Kissinger, the list goes on.
You must have hosted some amazing events and parties. Who has signed the visitors book during your time?
Yes, we have an illustrious visitors’ book. Signatures include Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, HRH The Prince of Wales, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Ian Rush (okay, so there’s a football theme here!), Mrs Jane Yumiko Ittogi, Josephine Teo and Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Deputy Prime Minister Heng, Mike Bloomberg to name but a few.
Tell us about the stunning art, textile and glass collections in the home – particularly the Luck of Eden Hall.
This is a great story! We believe from Manasseh family archives that the house was named after Edenhall, the family seat of the Musgrave family, in the north of England. In fact, in a karmic coincidence, that house was in Cumbria, the county where I grew up. The Musgraves owned a fabulous 14th-century glass beaker – probably Syrian – that they used for celebrations and toasts on high days and holidays. They likely purchased it while on the Grand Tour in France, but local Cumbrian legend had it that the beaker once belonged to the fairies and when the Musgraves took it from them, the fairies exclaimed “should the glass break and fall, beware the Luck of Eden Hall”.
This beaker is now in the V&A museum and is really beautiful. Our designer and art curator used it as inspiration when we were refurbishing the house and art collection in 2019. You will see its patterns reflected in the curtains, and many of the artworks show glass, vessels, vases or journeys (as the beaker would have had to make it from Syria to North England unbroken!).
What would you consider is your biggest achievement during your appointment?
I have a truly brilliant team that work together really well across trade, defence, science, policy, climate and other areas. They are ambitious and can-do and they constantly seek the advice, support and engagement of external partners such as business and universities. Together with our wonderful Singaporean partners we have achieved so many incredible things, such as our Free Trade Agreement, our Digital Economy Agreement (the UK’s first ever) and another first, the Green Economy Framework. Something very special is the Singapore and UK’s Strategic Partnership, which sets the direction and ambition for our work together over the period. We had spent years building towards this moment, and when it was launched last September, that was a special moment.
Is it true that you’re a proud Liverpool Football Club supporter?
Ha! It is. It was while I was in Singapore that LFC scooped the Premiership title for the first time, though the season and celebrations were interrupted by COVID. The only thing that could have improved my posting here is LFC winning the Premiership this year, Klopp’s last at the helm. Sadly, it wasn’t to be…
The UK and Singapore have a long and deep connection, with many Royal visits over the years. How do you see this bond continuing in the future?
I’ve no doubt that our deep interest in and affinity for each other will continue. That’s why I think it’s so helpful to have so many young people studying in the other country. Those movements lay down the fabric for the future of the relationship. We have been clear in the Strategic Partnership what we mean to each other. I know that members of the Royal Family with whom I have discussed Singapore – Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, HRH King Charles, HRH Prince of Wales, HRH Duke of Edinburgh – all expressed deep interest and admiration for Singapore.
What have you loved most about Singapore and what will you miss?
Where to start? The birdsong in the morning, the cicadas at night, the lush greenery, the foot massages (ouch!), the fact that you can find any food you want to eat, the quality of the conversations (so internationally minded, so much expertise), the imagination and cultural mix embedded in Singlish, the “can, lah” attitude. I could go on. I will miss my team hugely. They inspire me every day with their creativity, professionalism and expertise and their attitude.
I will also really miss the British community. We’re one of the biggest European communities in Singapore. I find Brits placed all over the economy and academia. The community is self-sufficient, very resourceful, and they are incredibly engaged in supporting the work of the High Commission and the Government. I couldn’t have wished for a better set of fellow travellers.
Where to next, and who is the next British High Commissioner and lucky inhabitant of Eden Hall?
My replacement is Nikesh Mehta. He knows this region well, having served in both Kuala Lumpur and Seoul. He’s going to love it here. For me, I’m off to another diplomatic appointment, to be revealed at a later date…
British High Commission Singapore
gov.uk/fcdo
If you enjoyed peeking into Eden Hall, why not take a look at some other lovely homes in Singapore? This article first appeared in the June 2024 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy!
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