Prince Charles meets Katy Perry on royal tour of India

The Prince of Wales looked delighted as he met pop sensation Katy Perry today, on the first day of his royal tour in India.

Prince Charles, 70, grinned as he shook hands with Katy, 35, and they posed for pictures. The singer had heard about the work of the British Asian Trust, which the prince set up in 2007,  and joined other supporters to learn more about the charity.

The organisation is founded by The Prince of Wales and a group of visionary British Asians to support large-scale, lasting change across the region. 

The pop sensation, 35, donned a blue floral ensemble which boasted statement virago sleeves – accessorising it with an elegant cream head piece and a pair of matching 60s style earrings. 

The royal cut a sophisticated figure in a navy pinstriped suit, paired with a white and blue patterned tie and pocket square. 

Despite the Prince of Wales looking thrilled at his dalliance with pop royalty, he was seen with painfully swollen hands and feet, sparking concerns for his health.  

Earlier today as he removed his shoes to step into a Sikh temple in New Delhi, the Prince’s fingers and toes were considerably red and swollen. 

But the heir to the throne dismissed any apparent discomfort as he joked with royal aides, met the President and paid tribute to military personnel during a packed day of engagements.  

Charles, a prominent climate change campaigner, went for a spin in a silent battery-powered rickshaw during a visit to India’s equivalent of the Met Office in the capital New Delhi, asking his entourage, ‘are you going to run behind?’ as he travelled some 50 metres at a stately pace of a few miles an hour.  

In anticipation of the visit, Charles took the opportunity to post what appears to be his first personal Instagram post last night. 

In a message to Britain’s Sikh community, and others in the Commonwealth, he wrote: ‘The principles on which Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion, and which guide your lives to this day, are ones which can inspire us all.’  

Charles also met India’s head of state in the capital New Delhi during a busy day of engagements which saw him mark the 550th anniversary of the birth of the founder of the Sikh religion, and attend a military service to commemorate the sacrifices of service personnel from India, the UK and across the Commonwealth in the two World Wars. 

Charles penned a poignant message to Britain’s Sikh community, and others in the Commonwealth, to mark the 550th anniversary of the birth of the religion’s founder. 

He wrote on Instagram: ‘As I depart for India, on my tenth official visit, I did just want to convey my warmest best wishes to all of you in the Sikh Community in the United Kingdom, and across the Commonwealth, on the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. 

‘The principles on which Guru Nanak founded the Sikh religion, and which guide your lives to this day, are ones which can inspire us all – hard work, fairness, respect, and selfless service to others. 

‘In embodying these values, Sikhs have made the most profound contribution to the life of this country, and continue to do so, in every imaginable field, just as you do in so many other places around the world. 

‘This week, as Sikhs everywhere honour the founder of your faith, my wife and I wanted you to know just how much your community is valued and admired by us all, and that our thoughts are with you at this very special time. HRH The Prince of Wales.’

His comments are likely to be interpreted as further evidence of his reported desire to take the title defender of faith, rather than ‘the faith’ when he becomes king, to reflect multi-cultural Britain. 

Charles’ rickshaw driver, who only wanted to be known by her first name Maria, was not fazed by the passenger in the back of her cab.

The driver was a product of a programme, run by sustainable transport organisation SMV Green, which is training some of India’s first female rickshaw operators. 

The 24-year-old part-time student said: ‘I was very happy to drive the prince and I wasn’t nervous, it was great.’

The British High Commission in New Delhi said Charles’ 10th official visit to the country would ‘celebrate enduring British-Indian ties, with a focus on shared global challenges such as sustainability and climate change’.  

He later travelled to the Sikh temple where like any other tourist or worshipper he covered his head with a scarf as a mark of respect and took off his shoes and socks and entered barefoot.

Further scarves were wrapped around Charles’s neck as his guided tour took him to all parts of the place of worship which was packed because of the special anniversary Sikhs are celebrating.

Staff feed thousands of visitors every day and Charles visited the kitchens to watch helpers at work and tried his hand at turning over the chapatis cooking on a large hot plate using a long metal skewer.

Nearby in a hall he stopped to chat to an Indian couple who were eating their free meal of vegetable curry with dahl.

The woman said: ‘He was asking what the food was and if we thought it was any good, it’s lovely.’

During the day Charles will also present a Commonwealth Points of Light award to an Indian woman for her exemplary contribution to the field of social development.

The prince will celebrate his 71st birthday on Thursday, and will be in Mumbai for a meeting about sustainability. 

British High Commissioner to India Sir Dominic Asquith said of the prince: ‘His many visits to India and his enduring interest in promoting our common interests is another example of the living bridge between the United Kingdom and India.’ 

From Sunday, Charles will begin a tour of the South Pacific, lasting more than a week, and will spend the majority of his time in New Zealand with wife Camilla before making solo trips to the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

Clarence House declined to comment on photographs taken today of the Prince of Wales.