Ahead of coronation, VP Jagdeep Dhankhar meets King Charles III

LONDON: Ahead of King Charles III's coronation ceremony in the United Kingdom on Saturday, Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar and his wife met the King during a reception hosted by the monarch for world leaders at the Buckingham Palace.

Dhankar also interacted with Jill Biden, the First Lady of the United States of America and other leaders during the reception.

Heir to the throne for 70 years, King Charles is set to be officially crowned in a magnificent and deeply religious ceremony today. Thousands of people have gathered at Westminster Abbey and the surrounding streets of central London to participate in the glorious display of British pageantry.

Vice President Dhankar also joined leaders of Commonwealth countries at a special event hosted by King Charles III at the Marlborough House in London.

Dhankhar also greeted Commonwealth leaders and exchanged views on making the institution of the Commonwealth stronger and more focused.

At Buckingham Palace, Dhankhar also interacted with Isaac Herzog, President of Israel and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, President of Brazil.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar and his spouse, Sudesh Dhankhar had arrived at the Stansted Airport in London for a two-day visit to attend the Coronation ceremony.

The United Kingdom (UK) extended an invitation recently to the international community, including India to attend the coronation ceremony.

In the UK, Unitary democracy is governed within the framework of a constitutional monarchy, the Monarch (now King) is the head of State and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is the head of the Government.

The coronation of Elizabeth II as queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms took place on June 2, 1953, at Westminster Abbey. India and the UK have a historic relationship and share values of democracy, the rule of law and many complementarities and convergences.

The relationship was elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2021 with the adoption of Roadmap 2030 for Future Relations. In September, last year, President Droupadi Murmu visited London to attend the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and offered condolences.

Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in November 2022 met UK's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Bali on the sidelines of the G20 Summit and carried out discussions to boost trade between the two countries.