HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, and Camilla, Duchess of Cornall, are to spend nine days in India before visiting Sri Lanka next month.
The visit will mark the couple’s third visit to India, and is set to be their most extensive yet, during which they will take in a range of engagements and official functions designed to enhance anglo-Indian relations.
Specific events are to include a visit by the Prince to Kerala – known by many Indians as “God’s Own Country” – where he will take in an off-road trip through an “elephant corridor”. The Duchess will visit the prestigious Doon School. The couple shall jointly attend a gala Bollywood dinner in Mumbai, and visit the Indian Military Academy during a busy nine day tour of the world’s second most populous country.
In Sri Lanka, The Prince of Wales will officially represent Her Majesty The Queen at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo. The Prince and Duchess will also carry out a programme of official engagements in the country, including a visit to a mental health initiative, a hospital and a tea estate.
Also in Sri Lanka, The Prince of Wales will meet with several heads of the Commonwealth, about which he said, in Trinidad “I have long had an instinctive sense of the value of the Commonwealth. It encourages and celebrates cultural diversity and makes no attempt to homogenize.”
The Prince of Wales has made seven official visits to India, though this will be his third since marrying Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, who previously accompanied him in visits during 2006 and 2010. Prince Charles last visited Sri Lanka in 2005 and, before that, in 1998. This will be the Duchess of Cornwall’s first official visit to Sri Lanka.
The couple will be in India from Wednesday 6th to Thursday 14th November 2013, and in Sri Lanka from Thursday 14th to Saturday 16th November 2013.
