Queen Elizabeth II travelled to India thrice after acceding to the throne and becoming the Queen officially in 1952. She was the first British monarch a few years after India won its independence from British colonial rule in 1947. The first time she visited India was in 1961, followed by the second visit in 1983, and the third in 1997. During these 3 visits to the nation, she received the ‘warmth and hospitality’ of the Indians and cherished it.
Queen Elizabeth Visited These Historical Sites During Her India Tours:
Taj Mahal & Raj Ghat In 1961
In the year 1961, Queen Elizabeth visited India for the first time with Prince Philip. The royal couple explored some famous historical sites in the country. They visited the Taj Mahal in Agra and Raj Ghat in New Delhi to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. Also, they toured many states such as Chennai (then Madras), Mumbai (then Bombay), Kolkata (then Calcutta), Varanasi (then Benares), Udaipur, Jaipur, and Bengaluru (then Bangalore). During the trip, they attended the Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath as the guests of honour. The Maharaja of Jaipur hosted them for hunting as well.
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Also read: Queen Elizabeth II, Oldest And Longest-Reigning Monarch, Passes Away At 96
Her Second Visit To India Was In 1983
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited India for the second time in 1983 as Giani Zail Singh invited the royal couple. They stayed at the refurbished wing of the Rashtrapati Bhavan during this time. During her 9-day State visit to the nation, she presented an honorary Order of Merit to Mother Teresa. She presented it at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi. Queen Elizabeth also met Indira Gandhi at Hyderabad House, New Delhi. She visited the Raj Ghat in the national capital as well.
Also read: Queen Elizabeth Has Eaten This Food Daily For The Past 91 Years
Queen Elizabeth Visited India For The Third Time In 1997
The last time when the royal couple travelled to India was in 1997 after India completed 50 years of independence from colonial rule. During her third visit, the Queen visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab. Also, she made it to an Indian film set as well this time. She went to the sets of Marudhanayagam, produced by Kamal Haasan. She visited Chennai’s MGR film city and was there for about 20 minutes.
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