The Queen hosts a State Banquet for the President of India
Berkshire, 27 October 2009

The Queen hosted a State Banquet for the President of India, Pratibha Patil, and Dr Shekhawat at Windsor Castle on Tuesday 27th October 2009. The banquet was part of a three-day State Visit to the United Kingdom where the President of the Republic of India and Dr Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat were the guests of Her Majesty The Queen, from Tuesday 27th October to Thursday 29th October 2009. During their visit, the President and Dr Shekhawat stayed at Windsor Castle in Berkshire.

During the banquet, The Queen paid tribute to the contribution made by British Asians to the United Kingdom in her speech. She said "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, and I am delighted to welcome many of the leaders of that community here this evening. Many of your own fellow citizens also live and work in the United Kingdom. They have enriched our society, and continue to refresh and strengthen the bonds between our two countries."

The programme for the visit was as follows:

Tuesday, 27th October

• The President of the Republic of India and Dr Shekhawat will receive a Ceremonial Welcome at the Royal Dais in Datchet Road, Windsor, where The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, will formally greet the President and Dr Shekhawat. Thereafter the President and Dr Shekhawat join The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh for a state carriage procession to Windsor Castle.
• The President of the Republic of India, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, will review a Guard of Honour in the quadrangle of Windsor Castle.
• After a private lunch at Windsor Castle given by The Queen, Her Majesty will conduct the President and Dr Shekhawat to the White Drawing Room to view an exhibition of items from the Royal Collection.
• The President will later receive calls at Windsor Castle by the Leader of the Opposition and the Leader of the Liberal Democrats.
• In the evening, The Queen will give a State Banquet for the President and Dr Shekhawat at Windsor Castle. The Queen and the President will both make speeches at the start of the Banquet.

Wednesday, 28th October

• The President of the Republic of India and Dr Shekhawat will visit the Natural History Museum. The President and Dr Shekhawat will view the Darwin Centre, including the Attenborough Studio and Climate Change Wall.
• The President and Dr Shekhawat will then visit the Indian High Commission where a collection of letters by the late Mahatma Gandhi will be presented to the President, who will receive them on behalf of the Republic of India.
• Afterwards the President will attend a meeting with the Indian Business Delegation at the Bentley Hotel.
• In the afternoon, the President will visit 10 Downing Street where the President will hold talks with the Prime Minister.
• Afterwards, the President will visit Clarence House for a reception hosted by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall to discuss the work of the British Asian Trust.
• In the evening, the President and Dr Shekhawat will attend a Banquet at Guildhall given by The Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation, and attended by The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. The Lord Mayor and the President will both make speeches at the end of the Banquet.

Thursday, 29th October

• The President of the Republic of India and Dr Shekhawat will attend the UK India Business Council Summit at Lancaster House. They will be met by the Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and The Duke of Gloucester.
• Lord Mandelson will give an address to the conference, followed by speeches by the President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Alderman Ian Luder, Lord Mayor of the City of London. The President will give an address to the conference before departing Lancaster House.
• The President and Dr Shekhawat will attend the Launch of the XIX Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay at Buckingham Palace.
• The President and Dr Shekhawat will then formally bid farewell to The Queen at the Grand Entrance, Buckingham Palace.
• In the afternoon, the President and Dr Shekhawat will visit the Palace of Westminster, where the President will address the All-Party Parliamentary Groups for India and for UK-India Trade and Investment and other invited guests in the Sovereign’s Robing Room.