royal visit to india

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A Brief History of British Royal Visits to India

P rince William and Princess Kate, will touch down in Mumbai on Sunday to begin their first visit to India, a weeklong trip that will also include a brief detour to the neighboring kingdom of Bhutan.

While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge — as the royal couple are also styled — have said they look forward to “creating some new memories” during the highly symbolic sojourn, their visit is not without precedent.

Here’s a look at previous visits by members of the British royal family to a nation that, until 1947, was the jewel in the crown of the British empire.

1. Queen Elizabeth II The first monarch to be crowned after India’s independence from British colonial rule, the Queen has visited India on three occasions. The first of those visits came in 1961, when she and her husband Prince Phillip toured the country’s biggest cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata (then called Bombay, Madras and Calcutta respectively). They also visited India’s most recognizable monument, the Taj Mahal, and were the guests of honor for India’s Republic Day Parade that year.

A second visit in 1983 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was followed by a remarkably contentious trip in 1997. Meant to mark 50 years of India’s independence, the tour quickly soured over a series of gaffes, including controversial remarks over the disputed region of Kashmir by then British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook — which reportedly prompted Indian Prime Minister I.K. Gujral to call Britain a “third-rate” power. There was also a wreath-laying ceremony at the site of an infamous massacre by British colonial soldiers.

The Queen has not visited India since.

2. Princess Diana A darling of the public eye, Prince William’s mother’s 1992 visit to the South Asian nation with her husband Prince Charles was treated with much fanfare. Visits to multiple schools showcased her well-documented ability to bond with young children, and resulted in some touching photographs .

The most memorable image from the trip, however, was recorded — yet again — at the Taj Mahal. Diana visited the famous structure alone while Charles addressed a gathering in Bangalore, adding fuel to already-swirling rumors that their marriage was in trouble. The rumors would turn out to be true, as the royal couple announced their separation later that year. The photograph of Diana, seated in front of the Taj, has become one of the most iconic images captured at the monument.

3. Prince Charles The Prince of Wales is a known Indophile, having visited the country eight times beginning in 1975. He famously proclaimed, at the Taj Mahal during his second trip to India in 1980, when he was a bachelor, that he would one day return there with his wife. That prophecy was not fulfilled with Diana but with his second wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, on his last visit three years ago.

He has also made two official visits on behalf of the Queen — in 1991 for the funeral of assassinated Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and in 2010 to inaugurate that year’s edition of the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

William and Kate will follow in the footsteps of William’s parents and grandparents, with a visit to the Taj Mahal on April 16. They will also visit the spot where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated in New Delhi, as well as the Kaziranga National Park wildlife sanctuary.

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10 Pictures that take you inside the Queen's visits to India

Prince Phillip and Queen Elizabeth visited India several times, meeting with heads of state and touring the country's most-loved historical sites

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip 's first visit to India was in 1961, where the royal couple was greeted by both heads of the Indian state. During their trip, the monarch and her consort took a tour of India's most-loved monuments, including the Taj Mahal. During Prince Phillip's lifetime, the two visited India three times: in 1961, 1983 and in 1997—the year the couple visited India to mark the republic's fiftieth anniversary of independence from British rule.

During their first visit, the Queen and Prince Phillip toured Mumbai (then Bombay), Jaipur, Agra, Calcutta and Chennai (then Madras). In Jaipur, the Maharaja of Jaipur hosted the royal couple for a round of hunting, and they were also the guests of honour for that year's Republic Day parade. The people of India came out in record numbers to witness this historic tour, lining the streets to watch the royal processions.

Look through a gallery of historic images that give us a glimpse into Queen Elizabeth II's tours of India, and the many people and places she visited while here.

Queen Elizabeth II with President Rajendra Prasad (1884 - 1963) and Prince Philip on the occasion of the President's reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi following the Republic Day Parade (1961)

Queen Elizabeth II riding an elephant in Benares during a tour of India (1961)

Queen Elizabeth II shares a joke with husband Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and Indian Prime Minister Pandit Nehru (1889 - 1964) during a National Cadet Corps rally in New Delhi (1961)

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh visiting the Taj Mahal during their six week royal visit to India  (1961)

 Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visit the shrine of Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi (1961)

Queen Elizabeth II meets Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi (1983)

Queen Elizabeth II at Hyderabad House in New Delhi (1983)

Queen Elizabeth II presents the Order of Merit to Mother Teresa at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi (1983)