The Prince and Princess of Wales are set to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their first joint overseas royal tour in four years.
The Indian leader is understood to have adjusted his schedule and returned early from an Asian leaders’ summit in the Philippines to meet William and Catherine during their three-day visit.
The couple were originally due to remain in Mumbai for the duration of the trip, which centres on William’s Earthshot Prize environmental awards. However, they will now travel to New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon for bilateral discussions before flying back to the UK.
The visit marks the first joint overseas royal engagement for the Waleses since December 2022, following the Princess’s serious health problems and subsequent cancer diagnosis.
A Kensington Palace spokesman said the meeting with Mr Modi was a major addition to the programme and reflected the heir to the throne’s expanding role on the international stage.
“I’m delighted to confirm that, following the conclusion of their respective engagements here in Mumbai, The Prince and Princess of Wales will travel together to New Delhi, where they will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This is an important moment in the visit, and a fitting conclusion to what promises to be a very special few days in India,” he said.
He added: “The United Kingdom and India share one of the most important international relationships, with deep and growing connections across trade, investment, defence, security, technology, education and culture. This meeting reflects the significance of that relationship, as well as the role Their Royal Highnesses can play in celebrating and strengthening the links between our two countries.
“For The Prince, it also represents another important engagement as he continues to assume a greater role on the international stage.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales attend the annual Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall in London on November 7
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks to reporters inside parliament on the first day of the budget session in New Delhi, India, on January 31, 2024
The Earthshot Prize logo was projected on the Bandra-Worli sea link in Mumbai last night
“We have seen him increasingly support the UK’s diplomatic relationships through his overseas engagements, and this meeting will provide an opportunity to deepen those connections at the highest level.
“The Prince is very conscious of the responsibility that comes with his position and of the contribution he can make by bringing people together and supporting relationships that matter to the United Kingdom.”
The aide declined to discuss the details of the talks, but indicated that they would centre on the “strength of the modern UK-India partnership”. Topics are expected to include environmental innovation, business, culture, education and the creative industries—key themes of the royal visit.
“This meeting brings those wider themes together and provides an important conclusion to the visit,” the spokesman said.
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He also said it was “particularly special that The Princess will be alongside him [William] for this meeting”, adding: “Their Royal Highnesses have such happy memories of their visit to India in 2016, and they’re both looking forward to the opportunity to meet the Prime Minister together on Wednesday evening.”
An aide said Mr Modi’s decision to make room in his diary “just shows how important both the United Kingdom and India take the relationship”.
Whitehall sources said Mr Modi already enjoys a “very close relationship” with the King, while the Royal Family is widely regarded as an important asset in Britain’s diplomatic efforts.
Ben Mellor, acting British high commissioner to India, said the future king and Mr Modi would celebrate the strength of the partnership between the two countries and discuss areas for future cooperation.
“Their Royal Highnesses’ visit comes at a pivotal moment. India’s rise has been one of the defining stories of the past three decades—and the UK will be there right alongside India,” he said.
The Prince and Princess will arrive in Mumbai overnight before beginning their programme with a game of “gully cricket”, the street version of the sport played in alleyways and neighbourhoods across India.
They will be joined by figures described in advance as “cricketing royalty” for an event intended to demonstrate how sport can unite local communities.
The match will also provide a lively opening to the couple’s welcome in Mumbai.
Tuesday’s schedule will focus on William’s Earthshot Prize, with five winners each receiving £1 million to expand innovative responses to the global environmental crisis.
William will attend two solo events connected to the awards before joining Catherine in the evening to walk the “green carpet” alongside leading names from film, television, music and sport.
The couple are also understood to have chosen outfits with a generous touch of “Bollywood dazzle”.
Wednesday’s engagements will highlight the bilateral relationship between Britain and India. William and Catherine will first attend a joint event showcasing local arts and crafts before splitting up for separate appearances.
Catherine will focus on her work supporting young children during their early years, while William will explore Mumbai’s influential Hindi film industry. They will later reunite before travelling on to New Delhi.
Ahead of the royal arrival, conservationist and Earthshot ambassador Robert Irwin said William brought an “immense amount of passion” to the environmental cause.
“When someone has an authentic cause, passion and reason behind what they do, we need environmental leaders who are going to get in there, do the work and amplify that to a really big platform. He does that.”
