Kate Prepares a Box of Traditional Indian Sweets for Her Children

The Princess of Wales, with her children in mind, indulged in ordering a variety of traditional Indian sweets during her visit to Leicester yesterday.

At 44, Kate visited the renowned Bobby’s restaurant, which is named after a 1973 Bollywood film. While there, she was drawn to a vibrant display of desserts at the counter.

A video capturing the moment shows the princess engaging with the owner’s son, Dharmesh Lakhani, as she inquired about the assortment of ‘mithai,’ or sweets, available at the shop.

Expressing her delight, Kate commented, “That looks delicious,” when Dharmesh Lakhani, 57, introduced her to a healthier version of ‘barfi’ — a fudge-like confection made with figs, almonds, and pistachios.

Kate also shared with Mr. Lakhani that her husband, the Prince of Wales, has a fondness for chocolate. Meanwhile, a staff member carefully packed a box of these delightful treats for her to take home.

Bobby’s was opened in 1976 by Dharmesh Lakhani’s parents after they moved to the UK from Uganda when he was a child.

Mr Lakhani now runs the restaurant with his wife Enna, 56, as they invited the princess for tea and snacks. 

Enna offered to share her family recipe for a Gujarati savoury snack as Kate spoke of her fondness for Indian food, adding ‘I’m okay with spice’ while trying a chutney made from green chillies. 

She added: ‘I love coriander and chilli, but William is less of a fan of coriander.’

The Princess of Wales was thinking of her three children as she ordered a selection of traditional Indian sweets during a visit to Bobby’s restaurant in Leicester yesterday 

Kate received a bright welcome to the East Midlands yesterday, with dancing, honking horns, and crowds surging to shake her hands as she marked Holi – the Indian festival of colour, love and spring. 

The mother-of-three was radiant in a pleated cream dress from Oolo Ralph Lauren that she paired with a bespoke coat from Chris Kerr. 

The future Queen added a yellow silk scarf as she gracefully accepted a flower garland – a symbol of respect in Indian culture – made from pearls and roses when she arrived at the Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre. 

The royal added a Bollywood-inspired touch to her ensemble with Sézane’s Dina earrings in gold, featuring blue gemstones hanging from the tassels, which are also on sale for £100, down from £200.

‘Welcome to Leicester, Ma’am,’ said one shopper who stopped Kate outside a jeweller’s as she visited family businesses at the heart of the city’s South Asian community. 

A group of Bollywood dancers performed a routine for her during which she was handed a rose to hold. She told them that her three children would ‘love’ their dance moves.

‘You must be super fit because it’s super energetic,’ the princess said afterwards. 

‘My children would love that, they love their dancing. Louis would love your dance routine,’ she continued, referring to her youngest child. 

Mr Lakhani now runs the restaurant with his wife Enna (not pictured), 56, as they invited the princess for tea and snacks

The Princess of Wales looked elegant in a Ralph Lauren dress as she visited the Shreeji Dham Haveli Hindu Temple in Leicester yesterday

By the time she left the community centre, crowds had gathered outside and people surged forward to greet her with hugs and requests for selfies.

‘Thank you for coming to see me,’ she said. 

As she walked around the corner to the Golden Mile, vans honked their horns and drivers waved as they caught sight of the princess on the busy road.

Still wearing the garland, she visited Ladlees, a family sari shop, where she admired the embroidery of the fabric and asked whether the skills had been passed down through the family.

Later, the princess joined in with traditional dancing and made an offering of milk during her first visit to a Hindu temple in Britain. 

Kate was barefoot as she walked through Shreeji Dham Haveli, a Hindu temple dedicated to the teachings of Shrimad Vallabhacharya Mahaprabhuji, which serves the local Vaishnav community in Leicester.

She was told about the festival of Holi, and its themes of ‘the arrival of spring, spiritual renewal and community connection’.

Kate was greeted with a blessing, a thumb placed on her forehead by one of the temple’s women, and a flower garland.

She took her shoes off, as per custom, and was given a detailed tour by Mayur Kachela, one of the executive committee members, who explained the religious significance of the ceremony and ornate decorations.

The princess was taken to a table where women were making garlands made from fresh rose petals, asking them about their technique and how long it took them to do.

‘Thank you so much for having me,’ she told her hosts. ‘I feel so lucky to be invited. It’s lovely to be able to come in person.’

Kate greeting people during her visit to Leicester on March 5

She repeatedly clasped her hands in a namaste gesture to say thank you.

‘Does this happen daily?’ she said. ‘How does the community, or way of life, fit around the temple?’

Members of the temple remarked on her knowledge of the Holi festival and her many questions, particularly about how young people are involved in the temple.

 Kate was then invited to take part in a ladies’ dance during a religious ceremony and said ‘oh, go on then’. 

The women who led the dancing said that they had not expected her to join in, but were delighted with her enthusiasm.

‘It was absolutely amazing,’ said Mr Kachela afterwards. ‘She was really acknowledging what we’re doing here, and really engaged. 

This is part of our faith, and it was very nice that she acknowledged what we’re doing.’