A week prior to The Queen's 90th birthday, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will undertake official visits to India and Bhutan from 10-16 April. The Duke and Duchess are honoured to be carrying out this visit on Her Majesty’s behalf. This will be the first time The Duke and Duchess will be visiting either country. This tour is being carried out at the request of Her Majesty's Government.
In India, they will focus on understanding the country as it is today – a vibrant, entrepreneurial, aspirational nation that faces both its challenges and huge opportunities with confidence. Initiating a personal relationship with the country, The Duke and Duchess will pay respect to the historical relationship between Britain and India.
The visit to Bhutan comes less than a decade after the historic decision, led by the Fourth King, to establish a democratic, Constitutional Monarchy in the country. The timing of this visit to build on the friendly relations between the UK and Bhutan is certainly propitious.
The tour will begin in Mumbai, India’s commercial and entertainment capital. They will arrive at the Taj Palace Hotel on 10th April, following in the footsteps of other world figures, including The Prince of Wales and The US President who have both used their stays at the hotel to display solidarity with the people of this great city in light of the terrorist attacks in this Mumbai hotel in November 2008.
Alongside one of the most upmarket residential areas in Mumbai, they will meet people who are living in difficult circumstances in small slum areas and are working hard for their survival. The Duke and Duchess will also be introduced to some of Mumbai’s leading figures, including some well-known names from Bollywood and the city’s thriving business world. They will attend a glittering reception and dinner, hosted by The British High Commission in partnership with The British Asian Trust.
Kate and William will also meet young entrepreneurs to power the future of India’s massive economy. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Startup India campaign to encourage new businesses and job creation and this will be a chance to explore how the UK can work with Indian business to achieve these goals. Mr. Modi has described the UK and India relationship as ‘an unbeatable combination’.
From there The Duke and Duchess will fly to New Delhi. In the capital, they will pay respect to India’s military contributions, and also meet the men and women who currently lead the country in government and politics. They will begin their Delhi programme with a wreath-laying at India Gate. As the world marks 100 years since the First World War, The Duke and Duchess will in particular honour the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives while fighting for the British Army during the conflict.
Next, Their Royal Highnesses will travel to Gandhi Smriti (meaning: Gandhi Memorial). Located in Old Birla House, this is where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last years of his life. They will pay their homage at the memorial and then watch a choral performance from a group of young people. That evening they will attend a birthday party for Her Majesty The Queen at the residence of the British High Commissioner. To be attended by hundreds of VIPs from the world of government and politics, the event will be a chance to celebrate the links between Britain and India. The Duke will also personally pay tribute to his grandmother with a speech to the invited guests.
Further, they will visit the Kaziranga National Park in the state of Assam. The visit comes at the time of the Bohag Bihu festival, the celebration of the Assamese New Year. As per Kensington Palace spokesman Jason Knauf, “The Duke, President of United for Wildlife, has long wanted to visit Kaziranga and he will use this visit to speak out against the violence that threaten Rhinoceros as species.”
Before departing, The Duke and Duchess will put the finishing touches on an elephant sculpture to officially mark the ‘call for artists’ for India’s elephant parade, which will see 200 elephants decorated by artists and placed in 200 locations across India by the Elephant Family. These parades have previously been staged in London, Edinburgh, and New York.
On the morning of 14th April, The Royal couple will fly to Bhutan. On arrival at Paro airport, they will be ceremoniously welcomed by senior state representatives before departing for a scenic drive to the capital city of Thimphu. Next, they will travel to Thimphu Dzong where they will take part in a Chipdrel, a traditional welcome procession, complete with music, ceremonial dress, and plenty of colour.
The Duke and Duchess will then say goodbye to The King and Queen for the afternoon before heading to Thimphu’s open-air archery venue. Their Royal Highnesses will see first-hand Bhutan’s awe-inspiring national sport, where archers must aim at very small, brightly decorated wooden targets positioned 145 metres away from where they are standing. That evening The Duke and Duchess will have a private dinner with The King and Queen at Lingkana Palace.
On 15th, they will hike to Paro Taktsang, the Tiger’s Nest monastery which dates to 1692. The monastery is near the cave where Guru Padmasambhava – who is credited with introducing Buddhism to Bhutan – is said to have meditated for about three years, in the 8th century. Back in Thimphu that evening, The Duke and Duchess will attend a reception for British nationals in Bhutan and Bhutanese people with strong links to the UK. The next morning back at Paro Airport, The Duke and Duchess will say farewell and thanks to the people of Bhutan.
They will then board a flight to Agra, India, to see the Taj Mahal, and this will be the final leg of their trip. The Kensington Palace spokesman also said, “Prince William is proud to follow in his late mother Princess Diana’s footsteps by visiting a country where she was held in such high esteem”. In both India and Bhutan, The Duke and Duchess will seek to pay tribute to Her Majesty’s service and ongoing work as one of the world’s longest-serving heads of state. This will be the most ambitious tour Their Royal Highnesses have undertaken outside a Realm nation. It will mostly be focused on popular culture, frontline conservation, rural traditions, and forging long-lasting diplomatic relations.
