More than two decades after his mother visited the Taj Mahal, Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton visited the monument of love on Saturday and sat on the same spot his mother had occupied in 1992.
The official Twitter account of Kensington Palace tweeted the picture to its 625,000 followers shortly after it was taken.
The Duke and Duchess at the Taj Mahal #RoyalVisitIndia pic.twitter.com/ObrHIr5QUS
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) April 16, 2016
According to reports, William and Kate were very accommodating as they posed for photographers to capture the iconic moment. "I hope you've got the symmetry right, Arthur," Hello Magazine quoted the Duke of Cambridge as telling veteran royal photographer Arthur Edwards, who was among the many who captured Princess Diana's visit to the Taj Mahal in the 1990s.
Unlike her son, Princess Diana was not accompanied by her spouse, Prince Charles, when she visited the Taj Mahal, and at the time had told reporters she found the experience "very healing." When pressed to explain the statement, Diana retorted" "Work it out for yourself." The People's Princess announced her separation from Prince Charles less than a year later.
Kate and William flew in to Agra from Bhutan, and after their photoshoot, the couple was given a private tour of the Taj Mahal, where they were shown the tombs of Shah Jahan and his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
A spokesperson told the magazine Kate and William were excited to explore the Taj Mahal and cherish the unique experience.
"They got a brief glimpse of the Taj from their hotel earlier and were visibly excited," an aide explained to Hello Magazine. "They couldn't wait to get down here and experience it for themselves. Like everyone visiting this magical and beautiful place, they want to have a unique experience to remember forever."
