Duchess Of Cambridge To Visit Taj Mahal: Kate To Pay Homage To The Princess Of Wales’ Famous Photo

The Duchess of Cambridge will visit the Taj Mahal together with her husband Prince William, reports The Guardian. The royal couple begin a short official tour of India and Bhutan on April 10.

The Taj Mahal was completed in 1643 and is a mausoleum to the wife of emperor Shah Jahan. The white marble mausoleum is a World Heritage Site and a must-see for visitors to northern India.

The trip to the famed “monument to love” will bring back memories of the late Princess of Wales’ visit to the Taj Mahal in 1992. Diana, Princess of Wales, was famously photographed sitting alone on a stone bench, sparking rumors of troubles in her marriage to Prince Charles. The bench is now nicknamed “Lady Di’s Chair.” The significance of Diana’s visit is not lost on the Duke of Cambridge.

“[He] feels incredibly lucky to visit a place where his mother’s memory is kept alive by so many who travel there.”

Prince William and the Duchess are keen to display their happiness in the glorious surroundings of the mausoleum. The Cambridge staff have reportedly requested that scaffolding be removed from the building so it won’t interfere with photographs. According to The Times of India,“[Archaeological Survey of India] officials had received a request from the British High Commission’s advance team to remove the scaffolding before the royal visit…”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will not get their wish for a picture-perfect royal portrait. There is construction on “three minarets out of the four surrounding the main mausoleum [which] are completely covered with iron rods for conservation work, which in turn, spoil a perfect Taj picture.”

“According to ASI officials, the request could not be accepted as “months of hard work” has gone into it and will have to start from scratch if the scaffolding is indeed removed.”

However, The Guardian notes that a spokesman from the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office has said the request was never made on behalf of the Duke and Duchess. Dismissing the story outright, the spokesman said “this story is not correct. We did not request that the Taj Mahal remove the scaffolding.”

The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William will go to the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai on the first day of the tour. The hotel was the scene of a horrific attack “where terrorists killed 166 people in November 2008.”

The royal couple will also meet children from “NGOs Magic Bus, ChildLine and Doorstep,” and later have a dinner with Bollywood stars and cricketers. The Cambridges will then go on to Delhi, where they will visit the India Gate. The Gate is a war memorial to ” 70,000 Indian soldiers who died fighting in the first world war.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will also meet with the Prime Minister of India. Later in the trip the Duchess and Prince William will travel to the mountainous “Forbidden Kingdom” of Bhutan, where they will dine with the King and Queen. During their time in Bhutan, William and Kate will go on a six-hour hike to the Tiger’s Nest monastery in the Himalayas.

The Duchess of Cambridge has always excited her fans with her keen fashion sense, and the tour to India and Bhutan is hoped to be no exception. According to Yahoo, “fashion fans are crossing their fingers that the 34-year-old will experiment with local designers and silhouettes.”

Deep Kailey, an Indian fashion editor, said that the Duchess of Cambridge “can pull off all these Indian designers, but all will depend on her choice and knowing how to wear these silhouettes…”

The Duchess of Cambridge has already made a good start by wearing a dress by the British-based Indian designer Saloni. The spectacular sheer blue dress was worn at a pre-tour reception at Kensington Palace, as previously reported by the Inquisitr.

[Photo by KGC-375/STAR MAX/IPx/AP Images]