queen elizabeth visit india 1990

To which the acid rejoinder by The Observer's columnist Pendennis was: "Not scum, ma'am, but the creme de la scum."

Royal Reception

The arrangements in the capital for the Queen's visit paled in comparison to the goings-on in Hyderabad. For one, Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao discarded his famous ear-ring three days in advance. For another, an inter-city flyover that has remained incomplete for over two years was finished in three months flat for the Queen to pass over. To cap it all, Centre-state relations suffered another major setback when a nasty row broke out about who was to be invited to Governor Ram Lal's banquet for the Queen.

Elegantly oblivious of all this, in a pearl choker and chiffon sari, Bilkees Latif, wife of the Maharashtra Governor, I.H. Latif (who had very properly put the British High commissioner in place some months earlier regarding the Queen's visit to Pune) was sitting in the Banjara Hotel tasting the pistachio soup to be served at the banquet. "Some more celery perhaps as in Vichyssoise," she said crunching pistachios.

As a woman of refinement who happens to belong to old Hyderabadi aristocracy she had been requested by the prime minister and the Ministry of External Affairs to over-see arrangements in Hyderabad. In two months this was her third visit and she was well up on the Queen and the Duke's eating habits. "She doesn't like shellfish, of course, but isn't generally fussy; he is," she remarked knowingly, and proceeded to provide details of the menu which ended with an ice-cream fantasy made to resemble Charminar.

Massive Expenses

Staying at the Rashtrapati Nilayam (the President's southern retreat where he spends one month each year) the Queen's stay, according to state officials, cost about Rs 12 lakh in refurbishing of the retreat alone. Much more was spent in metalling the city's dismally-maintained roads, in housing her staff (50 rooms at the Banjara were taken up) and providing transport (her cavalcade consisted of at least 30 cars including a Cadillac brought in from Delhi). Not much goodwill, it seemed, was earned by all this. Originally, New Delhi had sent along its own guest list for the governor's banquet. The two state ministers included were the chief minister and his Finance Minister Bhaskara Rao, a man known for his leanings towards the Congress(I).

All bedlam broke loose, with the Telugu Desam accusing the Congress(I) of "playing dinner party politics". In any case, argued Rama Rao, the selection of his cabinet members at dinners should be left to him. Eventually, all members of the Cabinet were invited and over 40 people fed with the Queen.

As she pushed on with her programme next day (visits to the Bharat Heavy Electricals factory to inspect solar energy systems and the International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics to peer at high-yield varieties of millet, groundnut and sorghum) the media was heaping abuse on state officials.

The British contingent cursed their luck for lack of a story ("who wants the Queen looking at soil specimens and agricultural yields") and the local press were put out because of discrimination - they were kept waiting in a separate room while the foreign media finished lunch first ("We are going to boycott the visit," said one, and many did). Things hardly improved when she was taken to Devara Yamzal village outside the city on the morning of her anniversary.

With that, the state Government lost whatever remaining credibility there was left of the royal tour. Devara Yamzal, under the tutelage of a strident lady district collector called Janaki Krishnamurthy just back from a year's sabbatical at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston, had been dressed to look like no village in India's past, present or future. There were freshly-painted signposts at every corner. Lambadi women in gypsy costume performed a tacky dance. Loudspeakers blared instrumental music. Tourist junk had been brought in from the city to pass off as traditional handicrafts. As the Queen inspected a housing scheme for "weaker sections" and a dispensary and bio-gas plant clean enough to eat off, Krishnamurthy passed on the good word about "integrated rural development". No one was fooled, but then, no one was meant to be. "This doesn't look like the real thing," said the intrepid Kathryn Adie.

"It isn't."

"Good," she replied reassured.

"Back home we're used to much the same. When the Queen passes, they always say, but we were planning to paint the railway station anyway."

And so, the Queen's visit passed, another sequel in the continuing soap opera of Mrs Gandhi's raj: first Asiad, then the Non-aligned Meet and finally CHOGM. No one was fooled, but no one honestly expected to be. After all, no one can ask for more when two Queens meet.

(The article was published in the INDIA TODAY edition dated December 15, 1983)

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Queen Elizabeth's visits to India

The monarch visited the former british colony three times after her coronation — in 1961, 1983 and 1997.

Queen Elizabeth II on a visit to a community development project at Bakrota, on January 22, 1961 near Jaipur, during her visit to India. AFP

Queen Elizabeth II dies - follow the latest news as the world mourns

Queen Elizabeth II , who died on Thursday at the age of 96, made three state visits to the former British colony during her 70-year reign and cherished the “warmth and hospitality” she was accorded there.

The queen's visit in 1961 was the first visit by a British monarch since India gained independence in 1947, and was followed by visits in 1983 and in 1997 as the country marked 50 years of independence.

"The warmth and hospitality of the Indian people, and the richness and diversity of India itself have been an inspiration to all of us,” she said in one of her addresses.

On her maiden visit after taking the throne in 1952 after the death of her father and the last emperor of India, King George VI, she laid a wreath at the memorial to India's renowned freedom campaigner Mahatma Gandhi.

The queen and her husband, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh , were invited as guests of honour at the Republic Day Parade.

Dressed in a fur coat and hat, the queen addressed a crowd of thousands of people at New Delhi's Ramlila Ground.

The royal couple also formally inaugurated the building of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the capital — the country’s premier hospital and medical institute — in a ceremony attended by the first President of India, Rajendra Prasad.

Watch: Queen Elizabeth II's three visits to India

Queen Elizabeth and her husband also visited India's other main cities, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, Rajasthan state and the Taj Mahal, the 17th-century Mughal-era mausoleum in Agra, during that trip.

She also took an elephant ride in a royal procession in Varanasi, a sacred Hindu city, while enjoying the hospitality of the erstwhile King of Benaras .

People perched on rooftops and balconies to catch a glimpse of the queen, whose grandfather King George V was the last British monarch to visit India before her in 1911.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited India again in 1983 at the invitation of President Giani Zail Singh.

The royal couple stayed in the refurbished wing of the opulent Rashtrapati Bhavan , the president's house, which was once the residence of British viceroys.

For their stay, the usual Kashmiri-style furnishings were replaced with viceregal decor, and the bed linen, curtains and tapestries were changed to blend with the regal past, according to a report by The New York Times .

The queen presented Mother Teresa with an Honorary Order of Merit during the visit.

On the queen's last visit in 1997, as India celebrated 50 years of independence, she visited the Jallianwala Bagh Memorial at Amritsar in Punjab.

The memorial commemorates those killed when British troops fired on a crowd of 10,000 men, women and children who had gathered to celebrate Baisakhi, a spring festival, in defiance of a ban on gatherings.

The garden had only one exit that was blocked by British soldiers, forcing many people to jump into a well to dodge bullets. The massacre was a turning point in India’s freedom movement.

Queen Elizabeth placed a wreath at the memorial and acknowledged that there were “difficult episodes” in India’s colonial history.

“It is no secret that there have been some difficult episodes in our past. Jallianwala Bagh is a distressing example,” she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined other world leaders in paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth after her death was announced on Thursday.

Mr Modi, who met the queen in 2015 and 2018, described her as a "stalwart of our times".

"She provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people. She personified dignity and decency in public life," he wrote on Twitter.

Flags lowered to mark the passing of Queen Elizabeth II — in pictures

The Union flag is lowered at the Houses of Parliament following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on September 08, 2022 in London, England. Getty

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Queen Elizabeth made 3 visits to India during reign, admired country's richness, diversity

London: Queen Elizabeth II, who died aged 96 on Thursday, was the first British monarch to accede to the throne after India's Independence from colonial rule in 1952 and admired the "richness and diversity" of India where she made three State Visits over the course of her reign in 1961, 1983 and 1997.

The warmth and hospitality of the Indian people and the richness and diversity of India itself have been an inspiration to all of us, she said in one of her addresses.

In 1961, the Queen and her husband, the late Prince Phillip Duke of Edinburgh, toured Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, then Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta, and also visited the Taj Mahal in Agra and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Raj Ghat in New Delhi.

Tribute | Queen Elizabeth II, a majestic legacy

PM Modi remembers Queen Elizabeth as 'stalwart of our times'

They were Guests of Honour at the Republic Day Parade on the invitation of the then President, Dr Rajendra Prasad, and an enduring image from the tour shows the Queen addressing a massive crowd of several thousand people packed into Ramlila Grounds in Delhi for her address, dressed in a fur coat and hat.

In 1983, her visit was in time for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and she famously presented Mother Teresa with an honorary Order of the Merit. Her final visit to India was to mark the 50th anniversary celebrations of India's Independence and for the first time, she made a reference to difficult episodes of colonial history.

It is no secret that there have been some difficult episodes in our past. Jallianwala Bagh is a distressing example, the monarch noted in her banquet address.

She and her husband later paid a visit to the scene of the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar to place a wreath at the memorial, amid widespread calls for an apology for the thousands killed at the orders of a British General during the Raj era.

Over the years, the Queen has also hosted three Indian presidents, Dr Radhakrishnan, in 1963, R Venkataraman in 1990 and Pratibha Patil in 2009.

Britain and India have a long-shared history which today is a source of great strength in building a new partnership fit for this new century, the Queen said in her State Banquet address for President Patil at Buckingham Palace.

Nearly two million of our own citizens are tied by descent and enduring family links to India. They represent one of the United Kingdom's most dynamic and successful communities relations between our two countries are built on strong and deep foundations and are set fair for the 21st century, she said.

The Queen's death triggers what is dubbed in Britain's royal circles as Operation London Bridge or the formal preparations and protocol that kicks in following the death of the monarch with Operation Spring Tide, or the accession of her son and heir Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, to the throne.

As the Queen died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, Operation Unicorn also kicked in which involves her body being transported to London by train.

"The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon, Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Thursday.

"The King and the Queen Consort [Charles and Camilla] will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow [Friday]," the statement said.

'London Bridge is down' is allegedly the way in which the death of the monarch would have been communicated to the Prime Minister, Liz Truss, by the Queen's Private Secretary, who will also tell the Cabinet Secretary and the Privy Council of senior officials and ministers.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Global Response Centre is responsible for informing governments outside the UK where she is Head of State, followed by other Commonwealth nations, including India. The day of her death is referred to as D-Day, with each subsequent day a countdown until the funeral, expected 10 days after her death.

It comes just days after she appointed her 15th Prime Minister, Liz Truss, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she had been staying for her summer break. It marked a historic first for a British Prime Minister to not be anointed at Buckingham Palace in London after it was decided the journey would be avoided for the monarch, who has been suffering some mobility issues since last year and has been using a walking stick.

The UK celebrated the Platinum Jubilee of its longest-serving monarch on a grand scale in June, coinciding with Queen Elizabeth II's official birthday. Her husband, Prince Philip, passed away aged 99 last April.

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Remembering Queen Elizabeth II Through Her Visits To India

One of the iconic moments is when the British monarch met former Indian PM Indira Gandhi in 1983.

Published On Sep 09, 2022 | Updated On Mar 08, 2024

Queen Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch of Britain, has passed away. “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” read the caption of The Royal Family’s official Instagram account on September 8, 2022. As her country and her followers across the globe mourn the passing of the legendary personality. Even India will observe one-day state mourning on September 11, 2022, as a mark of respect. The National Flag will be flown at half-mast throughout India on all buildings where the National Flag is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment on the day.

The late Queen acceded to the throne in 1952, after the death of her father King George VI and five years after India’s independence from colonial rule. But in the last 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II has on numerous occasions expressed the importance of the socio-economic and cultural ties between the two nations. She came to India during her reign for three State Visits. These were in 1961, 1983, and 1997, and she was accompanied by her husband and the Duke of Edinburgh, late Prince Philip. 

According to reports, in one of her addresses, the late Queen had said: “The warmth and hospitality of the Indian people and the richness and diversity of India itself have been an inspiration to all of us.”

Queen Elizabeth II on her India visit in 1961

Post India’s Independence in 1947, on January 21, 1961, the British monarch and her husband visited the country in 1961. She was welcomed by India’s first president Dr Rajendra Prasad, Vice President Dr S Radhakrishnan, and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru at the airport.

The late Queen was the guest of honour at the Republic Day parade that year and addressed a massive crowd at the Ramlila Ground during the event. 

Her India tour took her to Jaipur, Rajasthan, where she met the then Maharaja of Jaipur Sawai Man Singh II at the City Palace. Apart from Jaipur, she also visited the Taj Mahal in Agra and the Gateway of India in Mumbai. 

Queen Elizabeth II’s India visit in 1983

In 1983, the British monarch and the late Prince Philip were in India in time for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). 

During this tour, she also met the then-Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, a powerhouse woman like her. Both were wearing attire that represented their home countries and defined understated elegance in their unique ways. The Indian PM was dressed in a beige and black saree, and the British monarch had donned an elegant powder blue pleated dress.   

During the same visit, Queen Elizabeth II presented Mother Teresa II with the Insignia of the Honorary Order of Merit. Established in 1902 by King Edward VII, admission to the Order is the personal gift of the British Sovereign.

Queen Elizabeth II’s India visit in 1997

She returned to India when India was celebrating 50 years of Independence. During this visit, the late Queen paid homage at the War Centenary in New Delhi, and even visited the Jallianwala Bagh and Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab. 

In her speech during the State banquet, she famously acknowledged the Jalianwala Bagh massacre. “It is no secret that there have been some difficult episodes in our past. Jallianwala Bagh is a distressing example…" of the colonial era.

Queen Elizabeth II also hosted three Indian presidents at Buckingham Palace: Dr. Radhakrishnan in 1963, R. Venkataraman in 1990 and Pratibha Patil in 2009. The same year, she also met with ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the banquet hosted at Buckingham Palace for G20 Summit.

Most recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the queen during his visits to UK in 2015 and 2018. During one of the visits, the Queen shared the memory of Mahatma Gandhi gifting her a handkerchief at her wedding, with him.

As part of the Commonwealth of Nations, India is connected to UK--it was something Queen Elizabeth II was always cognizant of. Irrespective of global politics and common history, she always was hopeful for a better future of both the nations.

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From India with Love: When Queen rode an elephant in Varanasi, showed Modi a gift from Mahatma Gandhi

Queen Elizabeth II’s first trip to India was in 1961 and she touched a chord. When she visited the Gandhi memorial, she took off her sandals to keep with Indian tradition. In 2015, she invited Narendra Modi for lunch at Buckingham Palace

Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II was the world’s most-travelled monarch. In her 70 years on the throne, she visited 140 countries, spending almost four years on state visits.

During her travails and the course of her life, she had many encounters with Indian greats. The Queen visited the country not once but thrice, meeting prime ministers and presidents, visiting monuments, and touching many a heart.

Also read: Queen Elizabeth II death live updates

In the event of her death on Thursday, we take a short trip down memory lane.

When Queen removed sandals before visiting Raj Ghat

In 1952, Elizabeth II was the first monarch to ascend to the throne after India fought the British and became independent. She made her first visit to the country nine years after becoming queen in 1961 with her husband Prince Phillip , Duke of Edinburgh.

The Queen was the first British monarch to visit India in 50 years. Her grandfather King George V and Queen Mary had visited in 1911, decades before India got Independence.

Elizabeth II and her husband were received at Delhi airport by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, President Rajendra Prasad, and Vice President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan The couple were Guests of Honour at the Republic Day Parade at the invitation of Dr Prasad.

Nehru also hosted an event at Ramlila Maidan to welcome the Queen, where she gave a speech thanking India for the warm welcome. An enduring image from the tour, shows the Queen addressing a massive crowd of several thousand people packed into Ramlila Grounds, dressed in a fur coat and hat.

Also read: Will the Kohinoor go to Camilla? Examining the murky history and fate of world’s most famous diamond

During the event, the Delhi Corporation gifted the queen a two-feet long model of the Qutub Minar made of elephant tusk. The Duke received a silver candelabra, reports India Today . In Delhi, she inaugurated the institute buildings of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on 27 January, where she planted a sapling on the premises.

The royal couple visited Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial Raj Ghat in the Capital and the Queen, keeping with the Indian tradition, took off her sandals; her husband did the same. She also wrote a tribute in the visitor’s book. It is said that it’s rare for her to write anything other than her signature. Interestingly, Gandhi had personally woven a shawl as a gift to the Queen (then a princess) for her wedding. Adventures in India

The British royals’ next stop was the Taj Mahal in Agra to which they drove in an open car, waving to hundreds who gathered on the roads to get a glimpse of the monarch. They then visited Udaipur, where they got a royal welcome from the Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar and in Jaipur, they were invited to a hunting day by the maharaja and Philip reportedly killed a tiger. In Varanasi, she took an elephant ride in a royal procession, enjoying the hospitality of the erstwhile Maharaja of Benares.

The Queen and Prince Philip toured Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata — then Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta, reports news agency PTI .

Meeting Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa

The Queen’s next visit to India came two decades later in 1983. She visited the country at the invitation of then-President Giani Zail Singh. This time, the royal couple stayed at the refurbished wing of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

During this visit, the monarch met the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. She also Mother Teresa and presented her with the honorary Order of the Merit, a British award for eminent service. The order is limited to only 24 members, although the British monarch can appoint foreigners as “honorary members”.

Visiting Jallianwala Bagh, Golden Temple

The Queen’s last visit to India came in 1997, as India marked 50 years of Independence. It was significant in more ways than one, as she referred to “difficult episodes” of colonial history.

“It is no secret that there have been some difficult episodes in our past. Jallianwala Bagh is a distressing example,” the monarch noted in her banquet address.

The royal couple later paid a visit to the scene of the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar and placed a wreath at the memorial, amid widespread calls for an apology for the thousands killed at the orders of British General Reginald Dyer during the Raj. She also visited the Golden Temple, where she was presented with a replica of the holy site.

#WATCH | Queen Elizabeth II visited Golden Temple in Punjab's Amritsar, back in the year 1997 (File footage) pic.twitter.com/wGgYUW5dI5 — ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2022

In Delhi, she met with then President KR Narayanan and his wife Usha Narayanan, and then Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral and his wife Sheela Gujral. She also visited St Thomas school in the Capital.

Hosting India’s presidents

Over the years, the sovereign has hosted three Indian presidents – Dr Radhakrishnan in 1963, R Venkataraman in 1990, and Pratibha Patil in 2009, reports PTI .

“Britain and India have a long-shared history which today is a source of great strength in building a new partnership fit for this new century,” the Queen said in her state banquet address for President Patil at Buckingham Palace.

“Nearly two million of our own citizens are tied by descent and enduring family links to India. They represent one of the United Kingdom’s most dynamic and successful communities… relations between our two countries are built on strong and deep foundations, and are set fair for the 21st century,” she added.

Meeting Manmohan Singh and Modi

In the two last decades, the Queen met former PM Dr Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi several times.

In April 2009, the Queen met Dr Manmohan Singh during a reception hosted for G20 leaders at Buckingham Palace in London.

She met Modi during his visits to the United Kingdom in 2015 and 2018. In 2015, the PM was invited to lunch at Buckingham Palace in London. Her Royal Highness gave him a tour of the palace and showcased the royal art and artefact collection.

I had memorable meetings with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II during my UK visits in 2015 and 2018. I will never forget her warmth and kindness. During one of the meetings she showed me the handkerchief Mahatma Gandhi gifted her on her wedding. I will always cherish that gesture. pic.twitter.com/3aACbxhLgC — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 8, 2022

The second meeting between the duo took place in April 2018 when PM Modi was on a four-day visit to the UK. He met Elizabeth II ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), which saw a gathering of 53 heads of government. This meeting again culminated in a royal dinner gala which was hosted by the Queen for the world leaders.

In a tribute to the Queen after her death, PM recalled the time she had shown him a gift from Mahatma Gandhi. “I will never forget her warmth and kindness. I will always cherish that gesture,” he wrote on Twitter.

With inputs from agencies

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