Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, will start his week-long tour of India on Monday as part of the British royal family’s visits to the countries of the realm and Commonwealth nations to mark the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation.
The 86-year-old queen and Prince Philip have confined their travelling within the UK and just completed a two-day visit to Wales. Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will travel to Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea as part of the celebrations. Prince William and his wife Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will visit Malaysia, Singapore, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu on behalf of the queen.
Britain will formally hold four-day celebrations in June, including a pageant on the River Thames, for the diamond jubilee. The queen will lead a flotilla of 1,000 vessels comprising of boats from the UK, Commonwealth countries, including India, and the other countries. The four-day celebrations will come to a close with a Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral and a formal carriage procession by the queen.
Prince Andrew, who will arrive in New Delhi on Monday, will also visit Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kohima in Nagaland during his week-long trip which will conclude on May 6. He will attend a series of receptions in these cities to celebrate the diamond jubilee.
The 52-year-old prince will attend a special thanksgiving and commemoration service at St. Mary’s Church, Fort St. George, in Chennai. A visit to the Officers’ Training Academy and the Madras War Graves is also on his Chennai itinerary.
The queen’s second son will also visit the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Kohima, Nagaland. His visit will be the first time that a member of British royal family will personally pay tribute to Indian and British soldiers killed in the Battle of Kohima during the World War II
The Duke of York, who is the UK’s special representative for international trade and investment, will visit Infosys and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd in Bengaluru. He will visit the Western Naval Command in Mumbai and meet top business leaders.
In New Delhi, apart from his meetings with the senior officials, Prince Andrew will visit the Agragami project.