Red-carpet welcome awaits Britain’s Prince #William and his wife #Kate Middleton in Mumbai 

#Mumbai:  #Britain’s #Prince William and his wife Kate #Middleton will have a packed schedule from day one of their maiden visit to India, which begins in Mumbai on April 10. The British royals will stay at the Taj Mahal Palace. A source told HT, “They will first make a short appearance at former cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar’s Cricket Academy, where they will play cricket with children from NGOs. Sachin Tendulkar will join them there.” This will be followed by an entrepreneur’s convention in south Mumbai, where they will interact with young entrepreneurs.

Later, the couple will be introduced to some of the biggest names in business and Bollywood at a grand dinner in the Taj’s Crystal Room. A source said, “Each guest has been invited by the British High Commission. The guest list includes personalities from the worlds of business, sport and film.”

The hand-delivered invites come with a set of instructions, such as no personal bodyguards, managers, or other personal staff. The source said, “All guests have to arrive by 7.30pm. The Royal Couple will make an appearance on the red carpet.”

The Bollywood guest list includes Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Karan Johar, Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, Hrithik Roshnan, Farhan Akhtar, Alia Bhatt, Sonam Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Invitees from the business world include Anand and Anuradha Mahindra, Rahul Bajaj, Ashok Hinduja and Harsh Goenka.

The guests will be served a two-course thaali dinner. The evening will also see a musical performance by Shankar Mahadevan and his son Siddharth, and a performance by Shiamak Davar’s dance academy. The source said, “The royal couple is keen on experiencing Bollywood. Shah Rukh and Aishwarya will formally welcome the Duke and The Duchess of Cambridge on stage.”