New Delhi: British royals Prince William and Kate Middleton marked the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II at a reception hosted by the British High Commission in New Delhi.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were seen interacting with the guests at the garden party hosted by British High Commissioner, Sir Dominic Asquith.
The reception was attended by distinguished Indian personalities from politics and other fields.
The Queen turns 90 on April 21.
The royal couple cut the cake with a sword to mark the celebrations.
Prince William was all praise for the hospitality laid out by Indians during his address to the gathering.
“This is the first time Catherine and I have been to India and we have been incredibly impressed to see just how much this great country is on the move and how India’s dynamism is matched by the warmth and welcome of its diverse people,” said William.
On the occasion, the Duke also read out a message from the Queen.
“Today is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the enduring friendship between our two countries, our shared culture and the business opportunities we can create together. It’s a great pleasure that I entrust another generation of my family to strengthen and renew our bonds, signed Elizabeth R,” said Prince William.
Earlier, the British royal couple visited Gandhi Smriti, a museum where Mahatma Gandhi spent the last few days of his life before being assassinated.
They also paid tribute to Indian soldiers killed during World War I at the India Gate memorial.
Names of nearly 13,000 soldiers are inscribed on the war memorial built in 1921.
Prince William and Kate Middleton started off their week-long trip to India on Sunday (April 10) by visiting Mumbai attacks memorial and the slums where they played cricket with youngsters. They also took part in a fund raising programme where several Bollywood actors were present.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to host a lunch for them on Tuesday (April 12).
The royal couple will then leave for Kaziranga National Park in Assam state where they will take a drive on Wednesday (April 13).
The royal couple will travel to Bhutan for two days beginning April 14.
On April 16, they will visit Taj Mahal in northern Agra city before flying back to Britain.
ANI