PM Modi hosts lunch for royal couple

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hosted British royal couple Prince William and Kate Middleton for lunch to the accompaniment of classical music.

The prime minister received the couple on the steps of the Hyderabad House located next to the India Gate. While Kate wore a knee-length gauze green dress, William donned a dark suit and a tie.

A four-course Indian meal, including both vegetarian and and non-vegetarian, was served at the lunch hosted at the historic mansion in New Delhi which before Independence served as the grand residence of the Nizam of Hyderabad.

The event was marked by santoor recital by classical musician Rahul Sharma. One of the highlights of the performance was the rendition of Beatles' famous number 'Let It Be'.

Among those who attended the event included External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

Bharti Group chief Sunil Bharti Mittal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ICICI Chanda Kochhar, actor Anupam Kher and former badminton player Pullela Gopichand were among some of the noted personalities who also attended.

The royal couple are on a week-long tour of Indian and Bhutan that began on Sunday.

Their India visit began in Mumbai where they paid homage to the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks. In Delhi, they visited Gandhi Smriti, Mahatma Gandhi's memorial at Tees January Marg, and paid tribute to the Father of the Nation.

The couple also paid homage to Indian soldiers at the Amar Jawan Jyoti and attended a reception at the British High Commissioner's residence last evening to commemorate the 90th birthday of William's grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch.