The meeting followed an encounter in October 2025, when General Secretary To Lam and his spouse Ly met the Duke and Duchess during a visit to Britain.

The visit to the museum took place just after the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday.

The Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum houses more than 21,000 works reflecting various periods of the country’s art history, including several items recognized as national treasures.

During the tour, Ly accompanied the Duke and Duchess through exhibition spaces and introduced selected artifacts and artworks on display.

Items viewed included centuries-old sculptures such as the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokitesvara statue from But Thap Pagoda, a statue of Empress Trinh Thi Ngoc Truc dating to the early 17th century, and carved wooden doors from Keo Pagoda.

The delegation also viewed modern works created during different historical periods, including pieces associated with artists such as Nguyen Gia Tri and To Ngoc Van.

The group later visited a thematic exhibition featuring works in lacquer, oil, silk, paper, wood, terracotta, and ceramics.

The exhibition presents depictions of horses in Vietnamese art and their links to daily life, labor, warfare, and spiritual beliefs.

Artists represented in the exhibition include Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Ngo Manh Lan, Tran Khanh Chuong, To Ngoc Van, and Bui Xuan Phai.

During the visit, a performance of ‘Little Thuy’s Minuet,’ a composition by British musician Paul Zettet inspired by the painting ‘Little Sister Thuy’ by Vietnamese artist Tran Van Can, was presented at the museum.

The delegation also attended a water puppetry performance by artists from the Vietnam National Puppetry Theater and were served traditional Vietnamese tea and cakes.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Ly presented the Duke and Duchess with horse-themed mascots as commemorative gifts.

The Duke and Duchess expressed their interest in Vietnamese culture and their wish to return to Vietnam in the future.