The newly crowned King Charles III (the erstwhile Prince of Wales) is a wonderful and dynamic person. He likes to meet common people and is very sympathetic towards Indians. He has a great love and aspirations not only for India but for its people and everything that is there in India, said veteran politician and two-time former acting chief minister of UP, Syed Mohammad Ammar Rizvi.
“He is a huge admirer of Indian culture, Indian food and is very fond of Puris. Besides, he also loves the company of children,” he added.
“We met for the first time, but it didn’t feel like a first meeting because he knew who he was meeting. He extended a warm handshake and addressed me by name,” remembers Rizvi.
Rizvi is one of those few people who had spent time with King Charles III when he visited India in the 1980s and several times at Buckingham Palace in London.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the United Kingdom’s longest-serving monarch, on Thursday, the reign was passed on to her eldest son, Charles, who was declared the new King of Britain on Saturday.
“I was asked by the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to be with him during his visit to Taj Mahal in Agra and other places. I had the privilege to stay with him for about four days out of his 13-day visit on behalf of the government of India and government of UP,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“I was asked by the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to be with him during his visit to Taj Mahal in Agra and other places. I had the privilege to stay with him for about four days out of his 13-day visit on behalf of the government of India and government of UP,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Reminiscing his visit to Agra and Fatehpur Sikri, he said, “The (then) Prince was glued to Taj for a few minutes. He was so mesmerised by the Taj’s beauty that he stopped there and kept looking at it and didn’t allow others to disturb him.”
Before his visit to Agra, he visited Fatehpur Sikri and liked the architecture and arrangements, especially the folk singers singing beside the pond on the premises. There he ate traditional chicken and Parathas which he loved much.
Rizvi also recalls presenting the Prince with a model of the Taj Mahal as a souvenir, and a hand-woven carpet, after organising an exhibition of 60 weavers from state to select the best item. In exchange, Charles gave him a book on the Second World War and a tie, which he still has.
“He is one of those statesmen and leaders of the world who knows the ground realities of his country. I have written a letter to him on Saturday, congratulating him on his reign as the new King of the United Kingdom,” said Rizvi.
I also wrote a letter to King Charles III a few days back on the sad demise of the Queen expressing my deep condolences to the family for the irreparable loss. “She was a wonderful lady. Despite many people having differences of opinion with her, everyone respected Queen Elizabeth II. I think she was one of the great stateswomen of the world and that is why she was the longest reigning monarch of England,” he added.