The royals have long been among the most well-travelled jetsetters. In addition to being the longest-reigning monarch in British history, the late Queen Elizabeth II was also the most well-travelled monarch to date. From Kenya to Mexico via New Zealand and the width and breadth of the British Isles, the late Queen became one of the most famous figures in the world as she embarked on countless royal tours.
There’s no doubt that younger members of the royal family have followed in Queen Elizabeth II’s footsteps, heading on luxurious holidays and heavily itinerised royal tours in equal measure.
However, one pair that hasn’t travelled overseas on official engagements together in recent years, notably, is William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales. With three young children of school age and Princess Catherine’s recent illness, the last time the future King and Queen travelled together in the official, publicised sense (aside from private, family trips) was in June 2023. The duo attended a royal wedding in Amman, Jordan – although their last official royal tour actually took place a year earlier in spring 2022.
However, according to an article by Jennifer Newton, deputy royal editor at The Mirror, published on 11 August, and subsequent reports, this could soon change, as Catherine looks set to join William on his trip to India in November.
The upcoming adventure is in aid of William’s Earthshot initiative, a global environmental prize he founded in 2020 that awards five one-million-pound grants to innovators repairing the planet through incredible sustainability initiatives.
The ‘Earthshots’ are five ambitious goals designed to: protect and restore nature, clean our air, revive our oceans, build a waste-free world and fix our climate by 2030.
The Mirror’s report also speculated that, following the 2026 Earthshot Prize ceremony in Mumbai, the Prince and Princess of Wales could be asked by the UK government to visit Delhi, tying the award ceremony with official business.
But where could the royal duo find themselves during their stay in Mumbai? We asked Condé Nast Traveller’s director of content for global video and former Mumbai resident, Preshita Saha, for the stays and hotspots in the city she’d give the ‘royal’ stamp of approval.
Royalty-worthy stays in Mumbai
“In terms of a base, it has to be The Taj Mahal Palace,” she says. “ It’s the obvious choice and probably where they’ll stay. The 1903 grande dame faces the Gateway of India and has a long association with visiting dignitaries and royalty.”
The tables the royals should book in Mumbai
“For restaurants, I’d say Masque, Tresind, or Trishna for fun local seafood. Another new restaurant that I haven’t been to yet is Papa’s, where Dua Lipa visited while she was in the city.”