British royals, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have finally come to India in a visit that was long overdue. Their first royal tour in two years, Prince William and Duchess Catherine began their week-long visit on April 10, by paying their respects at Mumbai's iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel were 31 people were killed in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Onlookers caught a glimpse of the couple as they placed a wreath on a memorial.
In their next engagement, the couple played a round of cricket at a local cricket academy. Kate was a sight to sore eyes, in a printed tunic dress and William, in shirt-sleeves and dark glasses who tried his hand with the bat as he was 'bowled over' by Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. They later went to three Mumbai NGOs that work with the poor, taking a tour of the city in an open-top bus with slum children. The very evening, the two were given the glamorous welcome they deserved with a charity dinner held in the Taj hotel, with the country's cream of the crop in attendance. Bigwigs like Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt, Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Parineeti Chopra and, Shilpa Shetty Kundra were a few who marked their presence. Entertainment for the evening included performances by Shiamak Davar's troupe to songs by Shankar Mahadevan and his son Sidharth. The gala ended with a speech by William, who began by thanking everyone for the warm welcome.
“My family has a long and proud connection with India, and although our relationship has evolved, my family's high regard for India –the largest country in the Commonwealth remains unchanged,” Prince William said. “It seems fitting that Catherine and I start our journey from here, a short distance from the place marked by the famous Gateway of India, where so many people, including my great-great-grandfather, have arrived. Catherine and I embark on a journey to get to know the vibrant India of the 21st century. An India whose traditions, culture and civilization go back thousands of years, and yet co-exist with an India that is young, creative, entrepreneurial - an economic, cultural and political powerhouse, and an established democracy under the rule of law.”
The charity gala was organised by the British High Commission in partnership with the British Asian Trust and the hotel, to raise funds for Magic Bus, Childline 1098 and the Door Step.
Day two of the 'Royal Tour Week' started off with the pair laying a wreath at the India Gate Memorial in memory of all those killed in battle. They then proceeded to meet with a group of young entrepreneurs at The Social, a cafe and business centre, where William delightfully engaged in making a dosa, using an “automatic” machine invented in Bangalore. While he sportingly took a small bite once the dosa was made, offering the Duchess a taste, Kate waved her hand in refusal.
The couple were also introduced to the team behind Mahindra Racing, an Indian-backed motor racing team that competes in the Formula E championship for F1-style electric cars. William, who loves racing his motorcycle, sat in a racing car simulator and drove around the virtual Buddh International circuit in Delhi, managing a lap time of 2mins 6secs. The couple were also shown a Braille typing machine made by another local company. Each wore a blindfold as they tried their hand at typing letters by following instructions on which combinations of keys to press. They spelled the word George.
Addressing the people present, William said, “Catherine and I are very impressed by the energy and ideas we have just seen. Being here today, it is clear that India is leading the way in so many areas of innovation and technology. Your ability to innovate is not just good news for India but it’s great news for the world. With one sixth of the world’s population, young innovators like you must play a major role.”
The Prince and Duchess proceeded to national capital New Delhi, arriving at the Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg after laying a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti. Gandhi Smriti director Dipanker Shri Gyan, who gave the royal couple a guided tour of the museum, said, “They told me they were surprised by his simple living; that such a man had such a simple life.” They then attended an official garden party reception at the British High Commissioner's official residence to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday. Prince William said India's contribution to the Commonwealth was “enormously important” to the queen. Speaking at the reception, William said the queen was very fond of India, the biggest country in the Commonwealth. “Tonight, we are celebrating the links between our two countries. This is the first time Catherine and I have been to India and we have been incredibly impressed to see just how much this great country is on the move, and how India's dynamism is matched by the warmth and welcome of its diverse people,” he said.
India's poorest children welcomed the royals at a railway station in Delhi, where the two visited a drop-in centre for the Salaam Baalak Trust charity at the station, which helps kids from ages 5-18. They first engaged in a lesson with kids who were living in the nearby station. Charity's director Sanjoy Roy explained the couple about the charity's work. “The boys come here for four hours of lessons and some food every day. When they're not here, they're at the railway station. We look after around 7,000 kids a year, but every day around 40 to 50 new children arrive at the station,” Roy said. A worried William asked, “What can we do to help?” Roy replied, “Spread the word. People think of them as street kids, beggars, thieves, but they are just children.”
Kate and Will later in the afternoon, sat down with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a lunch meeting where topics for discussion included the Port Talbot's faltering steel industry. The informal meeting was held in New Delhi's Hyderabad House, a former royal residence of Maharajas. A source said the Duke and Duchess had a “friendly and informative lunch” with Modi.
Proceeding to visit the northeastern state of Assam, the Duke and Duchess were given a warm welcome by the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and his wife Dolly who greeted them with a traditional 'muga gamosa'. They enjoyed some time in the airport lounge where they were served Assamese snacks 'Jolpan', 'pithas', 'Larus' and 'sunga pitha' with the couple tasting 'til pitha' and 'ghila pitha', official sources said. After that, they left for the Diphlu River Lodge near Kaziranga National Park where they will stay the night. They will attend a programme on ethnic cultural traditions, including Bihu and jhumur dance, presented by local artistes in their honour.
The royals' itinerary in Assam includes a brief interaction with government dignitaries and the media. They will also be served with traditional Assamese cuisine, including Bhut Jolakiya, the world's hottest chilli. The couple will hold interactions with various communities to understand how they deal with man-animal conflicts. They will also meet park rangers to discuss how they protect their wildlife population from poachers. Later in the week, they will visit the Taj Mahal, which Prince William's mother, the late Princess Diana, had visited 24 years ago.
