Wherever she went in India, during her first visit, people thronged to see her. But there is a particular image of her from that visit that remains unique – her elephant ride with an Indian prince.
Queen Elizabeth II visited Jaipur during her maiden trip to India. The Queen and the Duke received a royal welcome. She rode an elephant with the Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Man Singh II, in the courtyard of the royal palace.
In a reign spanning 70 years and 127 days, Queen Elizabeth II was bound to have seen some spectacular, some glorious, some historic, some horrifying, and some once-in-a-lifetime events. She took the throne in 1952 and made her first visit to India in 1961, 15 years after India’s Independence. The Queen then visited India twice more – 1983 and 1997. But the first visit to the Indian subcontinent lasted more than a month.
The royals also visited Udaipur, where they were welcomed by Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar, as well as introduced to 50 nobles who had joined him in welcoming the Queen and the Duke.
The Queen visited Jaipur with her husband, Prince Edward, where they were welcomed in a traditional Indian way. The Queen with then Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Man Singh II, rode an elephant near the City Palace.
