While the black-tie event hosted by Mukesh and Nita Ambani was basically meant as an interaction with some of India’s super rich whom the Prince hopes will lend more weight to the British Asian Trust he’s spearheading, Sunday’s getaway to Pune an almost last-minute addition to the royal itinerary had a distinctly personal touch to it.
While Camilla accompanied Natasha Poonawalla to have a look at the legendary Poonawalla Stud Farms, whose stallions have regularly made a splash at the Royal Ascot, her husband Adar and father-in-law Cyrus Poonawalla gave the Prince a guided tour of the sprawling Serum Institute Facility, which, last year, became the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines. “I’m impressed,” Charles told a gaggle of the institute’s scientists, with whom he engaged in a long conversation that slightly delayed his scheduled departure. Later, the royal couple attended a lively high tea organised for them at the Royal Western India Turf Club, where they were introduced to the movers and shakers of Pune.
The trip also included a visit to the almost forgotten Kirkee War Cemetery, where the graves of over 1,650 World War II casualties are still maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Given that the Poonawallas are neither part of the British Asian Trust Advisory Council for India, nor, in any way, officially associated with any of the Prince’s charities at least yet it’s a bit of the coup that Charles and Camilla agreed to be private guests of the Poonawallas. We understand the corporate circles in Mumbai are still tring to decode that one.
