International News

AGRA, India, (APP/AFP) – Prince William and his
wife Kate arrived at the Taj Mahal Saturday, wrapping up their
week-long trip to India and Bhutan with a visit that carries
poignant echoes for Britain’s royal family.
When the late Princess Diana was photographed sitting alone
outside the tragic monument to love in 1992, it sparked much media speculation and later became a symbol of her failing marriage.
The Taj Mahal was cleared of tourists minutes before the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived, after flying in earlier
to Agra, its streets decked out in fairy lights and flowers to
welcome the high-profile visitors.
As temperatures soared, workers sprinkled ice water on
the famous “Diana bench” in front of the monument before the pair
posed for a photo, Kate wearing a white-and-blue dress and Prince
William in a matching blue blazer.
India’s most recognisable landmark holds a special significance
for the young royals, with Kensington Palace saying Prince William
feels “incredibly lucky” to visit a site where his mother’s memory
is so alive.
It follows a whirlwind week that saw the couple feed baby
rhinos in northeastern Assam and trek to a mountain monastery in
Bhutan — retracing the footsteps of Prince Charles.
Also waiting for the royal couple in Agra was a 73-year-old
fan whose family memories stretch back even further, to the visit
of Queen Elizabeth II in 1961.
“I have been dreaming of meeting the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge ever since I got to know they would be coming to the
Taj,” Surendra Sharma told AFP.
Sharma’s late uncle Kailash Nath Sharma, a keen photographer
whose studio in the city is still thriving, took several
black-and-white pictures of the Queen and Prince Philip.