The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will meet B-Town's A-listers on their first evening in India; SRK, Sonam Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor are expected to attend the April 10 gala
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 31, 2016)
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, who are set to embark on an official visit to India on April 10 will be welcomed by Bollywood's who's on the evening of their arrival with a charity gala in Mumbai. The Brit royals will stay at the Taj Palace Hotel, where a gala reception and dinner is being hosted in their honour. “Most of the invites have been sent out to the Hindi film industry's A-listers, including Shah Rukh Khan, Sonam Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Several businessmen, politicians, cricketers and socialites are also expected to attend. Ranveer Singh whose shooting schedule on a foreign location coincides with the event, is also trying to work out his dates,“ says a source close to the development. Hosted by the British High Commission, in partnership with The British Asian Trust, the gala will raise funds for three charitable organisations - Magic Bus, Doorstep, and Childline. Prince William and Kate will meet the representatives of the organisations earlier that day. “Prep has begun with Amit Chowdhury, the executive chef of Taj personally designing the lavish dinner spread which will include an array of Indian delicacies. Details about the do are under wraps due to security reasons, but Mirror has learnt that 'Baby Doll' singer Kanika Kapoor will sing some classical tracks.Before the star-studded evening kicks off, Will and Kat will lay a wreath at the 26/11 memorial inside the hotel and meet the bravehearts among the staff who helped protect guests during the 2008 attacks, after which they will proceed to the Oval Maidan to watch a cricket match. A visit to the Banganga Water Tank in Malabar Hill is also on.
They fly to Delhi the next day to attend a birthday party for Her Majesty The Queen at the residence of the British High Commissioner for her 90th. They will also visit the Taj Mahal, Kensington Palace sources revealed. The visit will have special resonance for Prince William because his mother, the late Princess Diana, was photographed there alone an image that came to underscore the break-up of her marriage with Prince Charles.
Next up, the couple will travel to Kaziranga National Park in Assam, which is home to two-thirds of the world's population of Indian onehorned rhinos as well as the endangered swamp deer.
In Bhutan, they will meet the king and queen of the country.