India royalist, 93, fulfils dream of meeting William and Kate

11 April 2016

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge (centre) and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (right) speak with Boman Kohinoor (left) during a meeting in Mumbai (10 April 2016) — Image caption,
Boman Kohinoor passed on his love to William and Kate's children during his royal rendezvous

The dream of a 93-year-old Indian restaurateur to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has come true after a viral social media campaign.

Prince William and his wife Kate met Boman Kohinoor, owner of a famous Mumbai Parsi cafe, on Sunday at the city's Taj Mahal Palace hotel.

The royal rendezvous took place after they were told of the campaign with the misspelled hashtag #WillKatMeetMe, external.

Mr Kohinoor has a strong claim to be India's oldest and biggest royalist.

The huge cardboard cut-outs of William and Kate that adorn his restaurant reflect a lifetime of devotion. In 2010, he wrote to the Queen asking her to visit and she replied to thank him on a letterhead stamped with the Windsor crest.

In pictures: Day one of the royal tour

Indian restaurateur Boman Kohinoor, 93, an ardent fan of the British royal family, poses with photos of Queen Elizabeth, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge outside the Britannia Co. restaurant in Mumbai (08 April 2016)

AFP

Mr Kohinoor is one of India's oldest and most devoted royalists

Customers eat lunch below portraits of Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Indian independence hero Mahatma Gandhi - alongside the national flags of Britain and Iran - at the Britannia Co. restaurant in Mumbai (08 April 2016)

AFP

The Queen, Mahatma Gandhi and Iran all figure prominently on the walls of the Britannia Co. Parsi restaurant in Mumbai

"I met Their Royal Highnesses [on Sunday] evening at the Taj," Mr Kohinoor told Conde Nast Traveller, external.

"They were very kind and asked me about my restaurant and my favourite dishes there.

"I told them about the berry pulao and how it's made using my late wife's recipe."

Mr Kohinoor said that he was asked by the royal pair if he could cook. "I said no, but I serve my customers well," he replied.

"I told them: Give my love to the Queen, and to [your] children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, too.

"I wish I had more time to speak, but I'm thankful for this opportunity."

The veteran restaurateur said that he was given the opportunity after a video in which he pleaded to meet the royal pair, external was posted on the internet.

"TRH (their royal highnesses) were very touched and invited him to their hotel before last night's charity gala," Kensington Palace tweeted on Monda, externaly,

Earlier at the Taj Mahal Palace, the couple spoke to survivors of the 2008 terror attacks in the city.

The seven-day tour will also see them travel to the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.