Following Diana's footsteps, British royals visit Taj Mahal

[rooster59]

Following Diana's footsteps, British royals visit Taj Mahal

SHONAL GANGULY, Associated Press


AGRA, India (AP) — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge invoked nostalgia Saturday as they sat and smiled for photos on the same marble bench in front of the Taj Mahal where Prince William's late mother, Princess Diana, had posed alone for a memorable 1992 photo.

Winding down their weeklong royal tour of India and Bhutan, William and his wife, the former Kate Middleton, were briefed by a guide as they entered the compound that houses the iconic monument to love.

Ahead of the British royals' visit to the Taj Mahal, about a dozen armed policemen entered the complex and the left section was cordoned off. Ordinary tourists were allowed to enter the building from the right. The royal couple caused a great deal of excitement, with dozens of people taking pictures on their cellphones.

William and Kate's visit was filled with symbolism. Comparisons will inevitably be made to Diana and the lonely figure she cut 24 years ago in front of the white marble mausoleum built by a Mughal emperor to entomb his beloved wife.

Newspaper headlines had suggested at the time that Diana was delivering a hidden message about the end of her marriage to Prince Charles. Four years later, the two announced their divorce.

Ahead of their visit, William and Kate's communications secretary, Jason Knauf, had told reporters in London that William "feels incredibly lucky to visit a place where his mother's memory is kept alive by so many who travel there."

When asked Saturday how to describe the Taj Mahal, William, on his first visit to India, replied, "Stunning."

Despite the scorching April temperatures — it was well over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) — the royal couple smiled happily for photographs.

Much has been made of Kate's wardrobe choices during her visit to India, and on Saturday she wore a summery white and blue dress that ended just above the knees.

The streets of Agra, a normally chaotic city, were freshly swept in the morning in anticipation of the royal couple.

Their tour of India has been followed with great enthusiasm in the country, which was a British colony before gaining independence in 1947.

William and Kate arrived in Mumbai on April 10 and laid a wreath at the Taj Palace hotel, which was targeted in the 2008 terrorist attacks that killed 166 people in the city. They played cricket with local children and met Bollywood stars and business leaders at a charity ball before flying to New Delhi, where their schedule included lunch with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a birthday party to honor Queen Elizabeth II, who turns 90 next week.

The couple, travelling without their two young children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, then flew to northeastern India's Assam state to visit Kaziranga National Park, which has two-thirds of the world's population of Indian one-horned rhinos as well as endangered swamp deer.

They then flew to neighboring Bhutan for two days, at the invitation of its King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema, before flying back to visit the Taj Mahal.

The royal couple was scheduled to leave for London on Saturday night.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-04-17

[stevenl]

Yes, Taj Mahal really is stunning.

[shirtless]

Who cares , what they do , they will never be Diana,

[thaiduncankk]

I didn't get the same publicity when I visited there.

No mobiles around then either, so couldn't even take a selfie.

Had to make do with buying a postcard.

[Suradit69]

The royal couple caused a great deal of excitement, with dozens of people taking pictures on their cellphones.

Wow. Dozens. No wonder the area had to be cordoned off.

[JohnDodd]

How nauseating to see these "Royal" couple being followed around, and worshipped by the worlds morons. Nice to see they layed a wreath at the hotel that was attacked by "terrorists". Why didn't they do the same at Amritsar, where in 1919 some goon British " Officer" told his troops to open fire on innocent, unarmed civilians and killed 400.....the wonderful (for some) time of the " Raj" where the jumped up "middle class" with little money could get a position in India where they could live the life of the gentry, riding to hounds, shooting tigers and all sorts of other beautiful species, and the sit back at the club with their Tiffin and other delusions of grandeur.

[NongKhaiKid]

My daughter tells me some of the media in Britain have nicknamed Kate ' Duchess Doolittle ' for her lack of public duties and she's mocked for sounding more royal than the royals having supposedly practiced / had elocution classes.

He mother too is a target for putting herself about on the strength of who her daughter is.

[Wilsonandson]

Where are the children? Shame they didn't join the photo shoot.

[Wilsonandson]

Is this Diana's ghost?

[thai3]

How nauseating to see these "Royal" couple being followed around, and worshipped by the worlds morons.

Such sentiment here would see you serving time. They are not 'worshiped' they are respected.

[Wilsonandson]

This Is WHERE to find Lady Diana Spencer's Ghost in England

[thaiduncankk]

How nauseating to see these "Royal" couple being followed around, and worshipped by the worlds morons.

Such sentiment here would see you serving time. They are not 'worshiped' they are respected.

Not respected by everyone.

Known as freeloaders by a lot of people.

[JohnDodd]

How nauseating to see these "Royal" couple being followed around, and worshipped by the worlds morons.

Such sentiment here would see you serving time. They are not 'worshiped' they are respected.

Whoops! you must be a" Royalist" and you sound that Leze Majeste existed on the "Sceptered Isle", or wish it did and have me extradited. Choose any adjective you like, they don't apply to me mate.

[stevenl]

How nauseating to see these "Royal" couple being followed around, and worshipped by the worlds morons.

Such sentiment here would see you serving time. They are not 'worshiped' they are respected.

Not respected by everyone.

Known as freeloaders by a lot of people.

Who is respected by everyone.

I think they are doing a good job and are all in all very positive for the UK.

[thaiduncankk]

How nauseating to see these "Royal" couple being followed around, and worshipped by the worlds morons.

Such sentiment here would see you serving time. They are not 'worshiped' they are respected.

Not respected by everyone.

Known as freeloaders by a lot of people.

Who is respected by everyone.

I think they are doing a good job and are all in all very positive for the UK.

Your definition of the word 'job' obviously differs from mine, and quite a few others.

[stevenl]

Such sentiment here would see you serving time. They are not 'worshiped' they are respected.

Not respected by everyone.

Known as freeloaders by a lot of people.

Who is respected by everyone.

I think they are doing a good job and are all in all very positive for the UK.

Your definition of the word 'job' obviously differs from mine, and quite a few others.

Yes, and many others will agree with me. So?

[Caveat Emptor]

How nauseating to see these "Royal" couple being followed around, and worshipped by the worlds morons.

Such sentiment here would see you serving time. They are not 'worshiped' they are respected.

Not respected by everyone.

Known as freeloaders by a lot of people.

Who is respected by everyone.

I think they are doing a good job and are all in all very positive for the UK.

Do you mean a ' job ' such as William''s supposed service with the air ambulance ?

Announced to great fanfare it took him a year to actually turn up.

More recently there had to be a spirited defence of the lack of hours he puts in.

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed.

[Basil B]

My daughter tells me some of the media in Britain have nicknamed Kate ' Duchess Doolittle ' for her lack of public duties and she's mocked for sounding more royal than the royals having supposedly practiced / had elocution classes.

He mother too is a target for putting herself about on the strength of who her daughter is.

Republican propaganda...

Does a lot, many of the royal do a hell of a lot more than a 40 hour week, do not forget she is a mother of two.

[thaiduncankk]

My daughter tells me some of the media in Britain have nicknamed Kate ' Duchess Doolittle ' for her lack of public duties and she's mocked for sounding more royal than the royals having supposedly practiced / had elocution classes.

He mother too is a target for putting herself about on the strength of who her daughter is.

Republican propaganda...

Does a lot, many of the royal do a hell of a lot more than a 40 hour week, do not forget she is a mother of two.

Rather than say 'she is a mother of two', I think it would be more on the mark, to say 'she has had two children'.

I don't think she has had to do the things that most mothers have, but, then again, most mothers do not have numerous nannies, paid for by the good, old British taxpayer, one of which, I can proudly say, I am no longer.