The British High Commission in New Delhi is set to host its annual King’s Birthday Party today, celebrating His Majesty King Charles III and highlighting a year of deepening UK-India ties.
India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, will attend as the Chief Guest.
The celebration caps an eventful year for the bilateral relationship, marked by the signing of a landmark Free Trade Agreement, a refreshed joint vision for 2035, and high-profile visits by the two countries’ Prime Ministers. In July, King Charles personally welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Sandringham. More recently, the King sent the Prime Minister a Kadamb tree for his 75th birthday, aligning with Modi’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign.
King Charles has long been familiar with India; before ascending the throne, he visited the country ten times as Prince of Wales. Over five decades, he has become known for his commitment to public service and charity, helping establish more than 20 organisations.
Tonight’s reception will draw senior figures from the Indian government, business leaders, Commonwealth representatives, and cultural personalities. Guests will be treated to a showcase of British cuisine—ranging from iconic cheeses to UK wines—alongside Indo-British fusion dishes. The evening’s entertainment will feature music from British artists who have toured India in recent months.
British High Commissioner Lindy Cameron said the event celebrates friendship, shared values, and a rapidly evolving partnership:
“I am delighted to host the King’s Birthday Party in Delhi among friends and leading British businesses, like HSBC, who are driving our economic partnership with India. It is fantastic to be here tonight with so many people who drive the strong connection between our two countries.
His Majesty The King personally met Prime Minister Modi at Sandringham in July. He greatly values the strong ties and special friendships shared between the UK and India. He has often praised the work we are doing together to tackle the world’s most significant challenges. I am delighted that a commitment to climate and clean energy, an issue close to His Majesty’s heart, is one of the pillars of the UK and India’s shared vision for our partnership in 2035.
It has been a brilliant year for the UK-India relationship. In May, we signed the landmark Free Trade Agreement, one of the broadest, most comprehensive, most ambitious deals that India has ever done. Having Prime Minister Modi travel to the UK and Prime Minister Starmer visit Mumbai in the same year set a clear vision for our partnership. This partnership is delivering prosperity for both our people, with diplomatic relations at an all-time high, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future brings”.
This year’s celebration is supported by a roster of major British companies with strong Indian ties, including HSBC India, Barclays, Prudential Plc, BAE Systems, bp, British Airways, Aviva Life Insurance – India, Shell India, Diageo India, and others.
High-resolution images from the event will be made available on Flickr.
King Charles III, born in 1948, became monarch following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. While his official birthday is marked each June with London’s annual Trooping the Colour parade, British missions worldwide celebrate the occasion with their own events. His last official visit to India was in 2019, when he travelled to New Delhi and Mumbai to focus on sustainable markets, climate action, and social finance.