- Saturday, March 01, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
King Charles III has expressed his desire to make a state visit to India “at the earliest opportunity” before a close peer now that he is the monarch.
Lord Karan Bilimoria said that the king told him about his wish at a reception in parliament for the MPs and peers to mark his Coronation on Saturday (6), The Telegraph reported.
“We spoke about the importance of a state visit to India, because I recently led the first parliamentary delegation to India in six years, and he said he’d love to go there soon,” the British-Indian businessman was quoted as saying.
The 74-year-old King’s remarks came after the Queen decided to avoid triggering a diplomatic row with the Asian nation by not wearing the controversial Koh-i-Noor diamond at the Coronation.
A descendant of the Indian emperor who presented the diamond to the royal family in the mid 19th century said his family had sought its return and told The Telegraph earlier that it was an issue between the royal families — Britain and Sikh.
It is the first time that the king has expressed a desire to visit India since he ascended the throne in September last year following the death of his mother — Queen Elizabeth II — Britain’s longest-ruling monarch.
After the event, Lord Bilimoria told The Telegraph that he told the king that “people there were saying it would be wonderful if the King could make a state visit to India as soon as possible, and I said they would love to see you there”.
The peer also said that it would help the UK as the royal visit would facilitate the two countries’ trade ties as they are in the middle of signing a free trade agreement, The Telegraph report added.
The King has undertaken one state visit after ascending to the throne, which was a three-day trip to Germany with the Queen in March.
Their Majesties are yet to set a new date for a state visit to France which was called off by French president Emmanuel Macron amid violent clashes over pension reforms.
Lord Bilimoria said the King has been to India many times, knows the country well and has many friends there.
King Charles III has visited India 10 times while he was heir to the throne. His most recent visit to the country was in 2019 that coincided with his 71st birthday and he celebrated it with schoolchildren in the western city of Mumbai.
Among the many engagements that the King has with regard to India are promoting the benefits of yoga during the pandemic; launching a £8.04 million bond to better education for Indian kids; founding the British Asian Trust to address the urgent needs in the poorest communities in South Asia.
