William and Kate to visit India’s Taj Mahal

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit the Taj Mahal on the final day of their tour of India and Bhutan later.

Prince William and Catherine will tour the mausoleum in Agra, where officials say they hope to create “new memories”.

William’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales, was pictured sitting alone in front of the monument of love in 1992.

It prompted rumours about the state of her marriage to the Prince of Wales and their separation was announced later that year.

‘Thank you India’

The duke and duchess will visit the Taj Mahal after flying back to India from Bhutan.

Their communications secretary Jason Knauf said: “The Duke of Cambridge is of course aware of the huge esteem his mother, the late Princess of Wales, is held in in India and he appreciates the status of the images that exist of the Princess at the Taj.

“He feels incredibly lucky to visit a place where his mother’s memory is kept alive by so many who travel there.

“Twenty-four years on from her visit to the Taj, the duke and the duchess are looking forward to seeing this beautiful place for themselves and creating some new memories as they say thank you to the people of India at the conclusion of this tour.”

The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the mid-17th Century as a monument of love to his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

It took 22 years and 20,000 men to build it from white marble transported from 200 miles away by elephants.

By Peter Hunt, BBC royal correspondent

It was a photograph that captured a disintegrating marriage. A princess without her prince.

Prince Charles had promised – during a visit to Agra when a bachelor – to bring his bride to this romantic monument.

Instead, in 1992, he met business leaders, made two speeches and launched a new charity. She sat in isolation on a bench in front of the Taj Mahal.

Diana, Princess of Wales – who understood the power of imagery – said it had been a very healing experience. Asked what she meant, the princess replied: “Work it out for yourself.”

Diana is a name that continues to resonate in India.

Twenty-four years on from his mother’s visit, Prince William will bring his wife to marvel at the mausoleum that is made of marble, jade and other precious stones.

One Bengal poet has described it as a “teardrop on the face of eternity”.

BBC