Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 96 on Thursday, had been on three State visits to India after acceding to the throne in 1952. The late queen cherished the “heat and hospitality” she obtained from the nation in the course of the visits over the course of her reign. (Additionally Learn | ‘Op Unicorn’ or ‘London Bridge is down’? Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral plan)
“The heat and hospitality of the Indian individuals, and the richness and variety of India itself have been an inspiration to all of us,” she mentioned in one in all her addresses.
Her first State go to as Britain’s sovereign was in 1961 when she, accompanied by her husband, the late Prince Phillip, toured Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata and visited the Taj Mahal in Agra. She additionally paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat in New Delhi.
Wearing a signature fur coat and hat, the Queen addressed an enormous crowd at a jam-packed Delhi’s Ramlila floor. The royal couple was in India as Visitors of Honour on the Republic Day Parade on the invitation of the then President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad.
Throughout her second go to, she famously introduced Mom Teresa with an honorary Order of the Benefit. Her third and closing go to was important because it was the primary time she made a reference to “tough episodes” of colonial historical past, significantly the Jallianwala Bagh bloodbath.
“It’s no secret that there have been some tough episodes in our previous. Jallianwala Bagh is a distressing instance,” the monarch famous in her banquet handle.
The Queen and her husband later paid a go to to the bloodbath web site to position a wreath on the memorial.
Over time, the longest-reigning sovereign has hosted three Indian presidents – Dr. Radhakrishnan in 1963, R. Venkataraman in 1990 and Pratibha Patil in 2009.
“Britain and India have a long-shared historical past which at present is a supply of nice power in constructing a brand new partnership match for this new century,” the Queen mentioned in her State Banquet handle for President Patil at Buckingham Palace.
“Almost 2 million of our personal residents are tied by descent and enduring household hyperlinks to India. They signify one of many United Kingdom’s most dynamic and profitable communities… relations between our two nations are constructed on robust and deep foundations, and are set honest for the twenty first century,” she added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled her dying, calling the Queen “a stalwart of our instances.” PM Modi hailed her inspiring management to her nation and other people and mentioned she personified dignity and decency in public life. He additionally recalled his memorable conferences throughout his visits to Britain in 2015 and 2018.
“I’ll always remember her heat and kindness. Throughout one of many conferences she confirmed me the handkerchief Mahatma Gandhi gifted her on her marriage ceremony. I’ll at all times cherish that gesture,” he tweeted.
(With PTI inputs)
