After a day of cricket, visits to a slum and a holy site, it was time for Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge to meet India’s own royals: Bollywood stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, as they hosted a charity gala evening.
Duchesss Catherine — aka Kate Middleton — blended British and Indian fashion as she wore a dress by the British designer Jenny Packham, with beading that was hand-sewn in India, for the gala dinner at the Taj hotel, where the royal couple are staying for the Mumbai leg of their India tour.
She accessorised with earrings by the Indian jeweller Amrapali.
Khan, who sat next to the Duchess at the dinner, was so delighted to meet the royal couple that he invited them out on the town with him.
Asked what his first impressions of the Duchess were, he said: “Is it OK to say she’s extremely beautiful and elegant? Well, she is. If they spend more time here I think they’ll love it. I could definitely show them a good time. I’ll take them out.”
The event was expected to raise a six-figure sum for three charities — Door Step School, Childline and Magic Bus — that all work in Mumbai’s slums to help protect the city’s most vulnerable children and give them an education, but the wealthy stars were still given a lesson in royal etiquette by Sir Dominic Asquith, the British High Commissioner, before they were asked to donate generously.
They were asked to stand when the royal couple entered the room and were told to put their phones away and not to take photographs or videos of the evening. He also asked them not to “besiege” the couple.
Actress Madhuri Dixit Nene, who was accompanied by her husband, Shriram Nene, said: “The Duchess said she loves being here and the people are very welcoming, but she was worried she may miss her children.”
“It was a pleasure meeting their highnesses, William and Kate. Very gracious and down to earth,” Dixit tweeted after the event.
Khan later tweeted: “The royal couple was so gracious and full of poise. Tonight as I said is the night of the King, the Queen and the Knights. Wish all nights were same.”
The couple chose vegetarian dishes — as they did all day — which included mushroom and pea curry, vegetable kebabs, spinach and corn curry and red lentil dahl.
The roll-call of Bollywood celebrities also included Parineeti Chopra and Huma Qureshi, Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, Karan Johar, Anil Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari, Alia Bhatt, Farhan Akhtar, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sophie Choudry, Sonam Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor and singer Kanika Kapoor — many of whom were dressed by designer Manish Malhotra,
The Duke said in a speech: “When Catherine and I were married, India was the first place on Catherine’s list that she told me that she wanted to visit. Two children and five years later, we have finally made it — and we are both honoured to be here.
“Catherine and I are full of admiration for this diverse and democratic society. No one can come here without being awed and amazed; no one can come without a sense of excitement about all that India has achieved in the past and the extraordinary promise it holds for the future.”
William, 33, who is second in line to the throne behind his father Prince Charles, and Kate, 34, wrap up their Mumbai stay on Monday morning by meeting young entrepreneurs.
They then head to New Delhi where they will have lunch with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other events, before heading to the remote north-eastern state of Assam for a visit to Kaziranga National Park.
The couple will also spend two days in Bhutan where they will meet the Himalayan nation’s king and queen and embark on a six-hour hike.
William and Kate will finish their tour in Agra on Saturday.
