Beautiful monument: Beautiful young royals. Beautiful smiles. What could be better?
Prince William and Duchess Kate of Cambridge, after a colorful week in India and Bhutan, wrapped up another successful overseas tour at one of the most famous symbols of enduring love in the world: the Taj Mahal in Agra, north-central India.
They posed, looking blissful in the sunshine. And despite temperatures reaching 110 degrees, they looked serenely cool in casual clothes: He, in khakis and a blue sports jacket, she, in an India-inspired blue-and-white embroidered dress by Indian designer Naeem Khan, according to reporters on the scene.
The Duke and Duchess at the Taj Mahal #RoyalVisitIndia pic.twitter.com/ObrHIr5QUS
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 16, 2016
The visit to the architectural wonder — a 17th-century marble mausoleum to a Mughal emperor's favorite wife — is a must-see on the list of any tourist in India. But Will and Kate, less than two weeks away from the fifth anniversary of their royal wedding in 2011, had more reasons than most.
Visiting the Taj on the last day of their latest official tour is a gesture to their Indian hosts, who consider the Taj Mahal a symbol of their country and maybe its top tourist draw. A picture of the world's most famous in-love young royals posing before the Taj Mahal would be priceless for Indian tourism and a positive image for India in general.
Then there is the memory of Will's mother, the late Princess Diana, who posed before it in 1992 — alone. She was on an official trip with Will's father, Prince Charles, but their schedule had taken him to a meeting with Indian businessmen while she was left to tour the Taj by herself.The Diana pictures were both poignant and startling, signaling to a surprised British public that the 11-year-old fairy-tale marriage of Charles and Diana was coming apart. Within five years, they were divorced; in 1997, she was killed in a Paris car crash.Now there's a radiant picture of her elder son, 33, and his beautiful wife, the former Kate Middleton, to replace the sad memories.(Her hair was down and loose, and not a frizz to be seen, at least judging from the pictures. But Kate had her hairdresser along for the trip, as per usual on overseas tours.)The Taj visit was the culmination of another jam-packed tour for the Cambridges, this time without Prince George, who turns 3 in July, and Princess Charlotte, who turns 1 on May 2. Kate endeared herself to her hosts by choosing outfits that were both comfortable and chic as well as tributes to the host countries' culture and style.PHOTOS | Prince William and Duchess Kate visit India
The couple also visited the Taj Palace Hotel, site of the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai and now a symbol of the city’s resilience. They played cricket, tried their hand at archery and hobnobbed with Bollywood stars. They had lunch with the Indian prime minister and dinner with the king and queen of Bhutan (known as the Will and Kate of the Himalayas). They lay wreaths at monuments and paid respects at the Mahatma Gandhi museum. They fed baby elephants and rhinos at a national park, celebrated granny Queen Elizabeth II's birthday at the British Embassy, and hiked hours up a mountain to see the spectacular Tiger’s Nest Buddhist monastery clinging to the side of a cliff.And they looked delighted the whole time.PHOTOS | Royal Family: Prince William and Duchess Kate
