
Prince William and Kate to honour Diana's memory at the Taj Mahal
By Emily Nash
While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge "cannot wait" to see the Taj Mahal with their own eyes next month, their excitement over visiting India's most famous landmark has layers of significance. Royal sources say Prince William and Kate want to create "new memories" there when they visit.
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The exquisite marble monument to love is where Prince William's mother Diana famously posed alone, signaling the end of her marriage to Prince Charles, during their 1992 tour of the country. A royal spokesman said: "The Duke of Cambridge is of course aware of the huge esteem his mother, the late Princess of Wales is held in India and he appreciates the iconic status of the images that exist of The Princess at the Taj.
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"He feels incredibly lucky to visit a place where his mother's memory is kept alive by so many who travel there.
"Twenty-four years on from her visit to the Taj, The Duke and The Duchess are looking forward to seeing this beautiful place for themselves and creating some new memories as they say thank you to the people of India at the conclusion of this tour."
William and Kate will take in the Taj – one of the wonders of the world – at the end of their seven-day tour of India and Bhutan, as a way of thanking the Indian people for their "warmth and generosity" throughout their stay.
Their spokesman said: "The Taj Mahal is one of the symbols of India and Their Royal Highnesses cannot wait to see it with their own eyes."
He continued: "This will be the most ambitious tour their Royal Highnesses have undertaken outside a Realm nation and promises to be the most colourful tour to date.
"It will cover five distinct locations over six days across four regions of India and a visit to a remote and beautiful Himalayan kingdom.
"The Duke and Duchess cannot wait to meet the people of India and Bhutan."