Princess Kate arrived in Leicester wearing a cream-colored outfit—a matching jacket and dress—and before she could say anything, a necklace of red flowers had been placed around her neck. Her response was a “thank you” accompanied by a Namaste gesture with her hands, a small sign of respect that does not go unnoticed.
The visit coincided with the celebration of Holi, the Indian festival of colors, love, and spring, and Kate joined the community that had been celebrating it in the city for days. A rather warm start to what was to come.
Kate visits The Aakash Odedra Company in Leicester
Her first stop was at The Aakash Odedra Company, an organization founded in 2011 that works with over a thousand people each week through community dance programs. It was founded by Aakash Odedra, an award-winning dancer and choreographer trained in Bharatanatyam and Kathak. He lived in India and studied under Shiamak Davar, one of Bollywood’s most renowned choreographers.
Odedra showed Kate a rehearsal of his latest work, Songs of the Bulbul, a piece based on an ancient Sufi tale about a songbird that dies of despair. During the performance, the dancers adorned her with flower petals and presented her with a rose. Kate received a standing ovation.
It’s also relevant that the company collaborates with the Move Against Cancer organization, offering Bollywood dance classes to people in recovery. This is a significant detail, especially since Kate announced last year that she was in remission following her cancer diagnosis in 2024.
What Kate Middleton visited on Belgrave Road
After the performance, Kate walked for about five minutes to the Ladlees sari shop on Belgrave Road, one of the streets with the highest concentration of Indian jewelry, fashion, and sweets businesses in the United Kingdom.
That’s what gives it the name Golden Mile. She crossed the street and entered Bobby’s, a family restaurant named after a 1973 Bollywood film, where she had chai.
Two stops, two businesses with their own stories, and a way to connect with the community that goes beyond the usual protocol.
Outside the restaurant, the scene took a slight turn from the planned script. Hundreds of people gathered on the street, with no fences or barriers, for an impromptu walkabout. Those kinds of moments often reveal a lot about how Kate connects with people.