India's first lady Pratibha Patil to visit UK

LONDON: Bagpipers, royal banquets, carriage processions and the hospitality of the Queen herself. If there���s one thing the British monarchy does well, it���s pomp, pageantry and ceremony ��� all of which will be on lavish display for President Pratibha Patil���s state visit to the UK, the first by a female head of state, and the third such visit by a president of India, after almost two decades. The Queen, no stranger to dignitaries, is well aware that Ms Patil is the first woman to be the President of India.

Ms Patil and her husband will be hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle, escorted by the Prince of Wales, take a look at Queen Victoria���s ���Hindustani��� Diary, be wined and dined by dukes, duchesses and City of London grandees, be presented with some of Mahatma Gandhi���s rare letters by British Asian community members, and preside over an elaborate, ritualised Baton Relay for the Commonwealth Games. In between she���ll also take a break to visit the Natural History Museum, at her request, and drop in on Mr Gordon Brown and meet up with opposition leaders.

Traditionally, state visits by heads of states are hosted by the Palace, and Ms Patil, her husband, and her entourage���not yet clear exactly how many���will be staying at Windsor Castle. The highpoint is a formal State Banquet held in her honour at the Castle, where Ms Patil will sample the expertise of the Palace kitchens, and make an address along with the Queen. Another high point of her visit is a formal banquet at Guildhall, the heart of the City of London, the financial sector, where she will also address the who���s who of global finance.

Guildhall banquets are used by political bigwigs to make policy statements. The Queen has visited India thrice since 1951, her last trip in the late 1980s.