The Princess of Wales marked the culture and heritage of Leicester’s British Indian community today, joining in traditional dancing, visiting family businesses, and attending her first Hindu temple in Britain.
Princess Catherine (Kate Middleton) was greeted by large crowds and honking car horns as she walked along the city’s Golden Mile, a stretch known for its Indian shops and restaurants.
Dressed in a cream ensemble, she moved among shoppers and shopfronts without road closures or barriers, receiving a Hindu blessing from an elderly woman and handshakes from passersby.
Princess Catherine began her visit at the Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre, which supports more than 1,000 people each week through dance and community programmes. There, she was presented with a garland of pearls and roses, timed to coincide with celebrations of Holi, the festival of colours that marks spring and spiritual renewal.
Award-winning choreographer Aakash Odedra, who founded the centre in 2011, led a performance of Bollywood dance for the princess. Odedra said of the garland:
“No better way to welcome a guest than to garnish their soul with flowers.”
As per reports in local media, Princess Catherine told performers that her children would enjoy their energetic routine. “You must be super fit because it’s super energetic,” she said, adding that her daughter, Princess Charlotte, 10, loves dancing.
The princess later watched Odedra’s latest work, Songs of the Bulbul, an interpretation of an ancient Sufi story performed with live music by the Manchester Camerata. She described the performance as “so moving” and “extraordinary” before applauding the musicians.
Following the performance, Princess Catherine visited Ladlees, a family-run sari shop, where she admired traditional embroidery and asked about the skills being passed down through generations.
She also stopped at Bobby’s restaurant, established by Ugandan Indian immigrants in 1976, sampling chai and sweets and discussing the importance of family connections with the owners.
Princess Catherine’s visit concluded at Shreeji Dham Haveli, a Hindu temple serving Leicester’s Vaishnav community. Following custom, she removed her shoes and joined a ladies’ dance, poured an offering of milk to a deity, and toured the temple’s ornate interior.
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