M A I N   N E W S

Charles arrives on 9-day visit

New Delhi, October 28
Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, arrived here today on a nine-day visit to India during which he would meet President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Vice-President Bhairon Singh Sekhawat and interact with several voluntary organisations.

The Prince, who is visiting India after 11 years, flew in here by a special aircraft and was received at the airport by senior External Affairs Ministry officials and British diplomats.

On the eve of his visit, he had said it gave him “great joy” to be returning to the “remarkable” country for which he has always had a “particular affection”. He would also visit Rajasthan for four days and Mumbai for two days.

“As a great admirer of India’s rich history and architectural treasures, not to mention her religious and cultural traditions, I am very keen to highlight the important restoration and conservation work being carried out to protect this unique heritage,” he said adding he was also keen to see some of the latest developments in India.

After a courtesy call on Mr Kalam and Mr Shekhawat tomorrow, Prince Charles will meet young Indian entrepreneurs and members of consultative panel on youth entrepreneurship and employment. He is scheduled to meet Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi on October 30.

Prince Charles will visit the City Palace School in Jaipur on November 1. The school established by Princess Diya Kumari, the erstwhile Jaipur Maharaja’s daughter, in April 2001, has 150 students in the age group of 3 to 5.

In Mumbai, the Prince will attend a function encasing commercial and IT links between the UK and India.

He will be present at the filming of the ‘Rising’ and meet movie stars Aamir Khan and Aishwarya Rai and British actor Toby Stevens. The film is a tale of friendship and drama set in India against the backdrop of the first war of Indian independence of 1857.

The Prince will also meet leading members of the Indian business community while in Mumbai. He will fly for Muscat on November 5. — PTI