Amid heavy smog that enveloped the national Capital, Britain&#39;s Prince Charles, accompanied by his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived here on Wednesday on a two-day visit to India at the final leg of their 10-day-long four-nation tour that also took them to Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. When their plane touched the technical area of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) at 1:30 pm, cameramen had to use flash lights to capture the moment due to the smog. Interestingly, among others issues, climate change was also one of the agenda for the talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said climate change, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), economic cooperation, and other bilateral issues came up for discussion. Among other engagements, Charles also launched a development bond for India to provide education to marginalised children. The British Asian Trust&#39;s $10-million Education Development Impact Bond, was founded by the Prince of Wales to improve literacy level for over 2,00,000 primary school students from marginalised communities in Delhi, Gujarat and Rajasthan.

The Education Development Impact Bond has been developed by the trust alongside UBS Optimus Foundation with the aim to provide funding to four local not-for-profit delivery partners over four years, delivering a range of operational models including teacher training, direct school management, and supplementary programmes.

Ahead of talks with Modi, the royal couple also attended UK-India Year of Culture function hosted by the British Council at the lawns of UK envoy&#39;s official residence. They also attended an event run by the charity Elephant Family marked by dozens of large, brightly-painted elephant sculptures.

The organisation was started by Camilla&#39;s environmentalist and adventurer brother, Mark Shand, who devoted his life to preserving India&#39;s dwindling Asian elephant population. He died tragically in 2014 in an freak accident in New York after which the royal couple decided to carry on his work. According to Vikram Goyal, Elephant Family Patron, India is home to the largest population of Asian elephants. &quot;The event was organised to highlight that survival was becoming harder for the animals as their habitate dwindles, forcing them to clash with locals,&quot; he said.

Clarence House, the official Twitter handle of the Prince and the Duchess tweeted, &quot;An assembled &#39;Elephant Parade&#39; greet Their Royal Highnesses in the garden of the British High Commissioner&#39;s Residence.&quot;

&quot;The elephant family sculptures will be taken to Mumbai to raise awareness of the charity&#39;s mission to help protect Asian elephants,&quot; it said in another tweet.

The UK government&#39;s Department for International Development (DfID) will contribute technical assistance and insights to the project as part of a wider partnership. &quot;The DfID is exploring new and innovative ways to finance programmes which will transform the lives of some of the world&#39;s poorest people. We are proud to support the British Asian Trust as they develop their Development Impact Bond, which will provide access to quality education for hundreds of thousands of children,&quot; said DfID minister Priti Patel.

Apart from launching the $10-mn bond, Charles discusses climate change

Amid heavy smog that enveloped the national Capital, Britain's Prince Charles, accompanied by his wife Camilla Parker-Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall, arrived here on Wednesday on a two-day visit to India at the final leg of their 10-day-long four-nation tour that also took them to Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. When their plane touched the technical area of Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) at 1:30 pm, cameramen had to use flash lights to capture the moment due to the smog. Interestingly, among others issues, climate change was also one of the agenda for the talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said climate change, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), economic cooperation, and other bilateral issues came up for discussion. Among other engagements, Charles also launched a development bond for India to provide education to marginalised children. The British Asian Trust's $10-million Education Development Impact Bond, was founded by the Prince of Wales to improve literacy level for over 2,00,000 primary school students from marginalised communities in Delhi, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Education Development Impact Bond has been developed by the trust alongside UBS Optimus Foundation with the aim to provide funding to four local not-for-profit delivery partners over four years, delivering a range of operational models including teacher training, direct school management, and supplementary programmes. Ahead of talks with Modi, the royal couple also attended UK-India Year of Culture function hosted by the British Council at the lawns of UK envoy's official residence. They also attended an event run by the charity Elephant Family marked by dozens of large, brightly-painted elephant sculptures. The organisation was started by Camilla's environmentalist and adventurer brother, Mark Shand, who devoted his life to preserving India's dwindling Asian elephant population. He died tragically in 2014 in an freak accident in New York after which the royal couple decided to carry on his work. According to Vikram Goyal, Elephant Family Patron, India is home to the largest population of Asian elephants. "The event was organised to highlight that survival was becoming harder for the animals as their habitate dwindles, forcing them to clash with locals," he said. Clarence House, the official Twitter handle of the Prince and the Duchess tweeted, "An assembled 'Elephant Parade' greet Their Royal Highnesses in the garden of the British High Commissioner's Residence." "The elephant family sculptures will be taken to Mumbai to raise awareness of the charity's mission to help protect Asian elephants," it said in another tweet. The UK government's Department for International Development (DfID) will contribute technical assistance and insights to the project as part of a wider partnership. "The DfID is exploring new and innovative ways to finance programmes which will transform the lives of some of the world's poorest people. We are proud to support the British Asian Trust as they develop their Development Impact Bond, which will provide access to quality education for hundreds of thousands of children," said DfID minister Priti Patel.

Prince Charles backs new education bond for India

Prince of Wales, Charles Philip Arthur George along with Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles arrived in India on Wednesday and have decided to back a new development bond for India which will provide education to marginalised children in the country.

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Prince of Wales, Charles Philip Arthur George along with Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles arrived in India on Wednesday. (AFP)
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The British Asian Trust was created by Prince Charles, with the aim to curb poverty in South Asia.&nbsp;

With this in mind, Prince of Wales had instituted a 10 million Education Development Impact Bond (DIB) as an innovative and sustainable social impact investment tool which will be tied in with performance and outcomes of educational initiatives.

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Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles (AFP)
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Beginning with India, this bond will finally circle across the trust&#39;s other regions of operations.&nbsp;

&quot;I hope that through the trust we can impact the lives of not just children in India but also change the mindsets of philanthropists around the world,&quot; said Prince Charles.

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Prince Charles (AFP)
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As part of the initiative, the DIB will be funding four not-for-profit delivery partners in India for a period of four years and create a result-oriented way to generate more capital into development, with a strong emphasis on data and evidence.

The initiative plans to create technical support and deliver insights as well as provide a wide range of operational models including principal and teacher training, direct school management, and supplementary programmes.

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Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles greet everyone on their arrival (ANI)
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They will be on a two-day visit to India as part of their 10-day four nation tour to Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and India.

(With inputs from PTI)

He has decided to back a new development bond for India which will provide education to marginalised children in the country.

Prince of Wales, Charles Philip Arthur George along with Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles arrived in India on Wednesday and have decided to back a new development bond for India which will provide education to marginalised children in the country. Prince of Wales, Charles Philip Arthur George along with Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles arrived in India on Wednesday. (AFP) × The British Asian Trust was created by Prince Charles, with the aim to curb poverty in South Asia. With this in mind, Prince of Wales had instituted a 10 million Education Development Impact Bond (DIB) as an innovative and sustainable social impact investment tool which will be tied in with performance and outcomes of educational initiatives. Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles (AFP) × Beginning with India, this bond will finally circle across the trust's other regions of operations. "I hope that through the trust we can impact the lives of not just children in India but also change the mindsets of philanthropists around the world," said Prince Charles. Prince Charles (AFP) × As part of the initiative, the DIB will be funding four not-for-profit delivery partners in India for a period of four years and create a result-oriented way to generate more capital into development, with a strong emphasis on data and evidence. The initiative plans to create technical support and deliver insights as well as provide a wide range of operational models including principal and teacher training, direct school management, and supplementary programmes. Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla Parker Bowles greet everyone on their arrival (ANI) × They will be on a two-day visit to India as part of their 10-day four nation tour to Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and India. (With inputs from PTI)

Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla arrive in India

Britain&#39;s <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/prince-charles-leaves-out-myanmar-visit-in-southeast-asia-tour-21031">Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived in Singapore</a> Monday to kick off an Asian tour aimed at cementing relations ahead of a meeting of Commonwealth states next year.

The heir to the British throne and Camilla are undertaking an 11-day trip that will also include stops in Malaysia and India.&nbsp;

British media had said the Foreign Office was originally considering including Myanmar on the tour, despite a military crackdown against the Muslim Rohingya minority, but in the end it was omitted from the couple&#39;s itinerary.

After arriving, Charles, wearing a suit in the tropical heat, and Camilla met Singapore athletes who were taking part in the Queen&#39;s Baton Relay, which travels around the world ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

On Tuesday Charles and Camilla will receive a ceremonial welcome at the presidential palace, and meet President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

They will lay a wreath at the city&#39;s Cenotaph, which honours soldiers who died during World War I and II, and will have an orchid named after them -- an honour typically bestowed on dignitaries visiting the city-state.&nbsp;

In the evening the couple will be honoured with a state banquet.

Singapore&#39;s foreign ministry said the visit &quot;reaffirms the historic and long-standing relationship between Singapore and the United Kingdom&quot; -- the city-state was a British colonial trading post for over a century and formed part of the Straits Settlements with Malacca and Penang.

It won full independence in 1965.

After ending their trip to Singapore on Thursday, the couple will kick off a week-long trip to Malaysia. They will visit Kuala Lumpur, meet with tribespeople on Borneo island before heading to historic George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Charles and Camilla will end their tour with a visit to India, where they will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Commonwealth Summit will take place in Britain in April, with leaders from more than 50 countries expected to attend. 
&nbsp;

The heir to the British throne and Camilla are undertaking an 11-day trip that will also include stops in Malaysia and India.?

Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla arrived in Singapore Monday to kick off an Asian tour aimed at cementing relations ahead of a meeting of Commonwealth states next year. The heir to the British throne and Camilla are undertaking an 11-day trip that will also include stops in Malaysia and India. British media had said the Foreign Office was originally considering including Myanmar on the tour, despite a military crackdown against the Muslim Rohingya minority, but in the end it was omitted from the couple's itinerary. After arriving, Charles, wearing a suit in the tropical heat, and Camilla met Singapore athletes who were taking part in the Queen's Baton Relay, which travels around the world ahead of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. On Tuesday Charles and Camilla will receive a ceremonial welcome at the presidential palace, and meet President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. They will lay a wreath at the city's Cenotaph, which honours soldiers who died during World War I and II, and will have an orchid named after them -- an honour typically bestowed on dignitaries visiting the city-state. In the evening the couple will be honoured with a state banquet. Singapore's foreign ministry said the visit "reaffirms the historic and long-standing relationship between Singapore and the United Kingdom" -- the city-state was a British colonial trading post for over a century and formed part of the Straits Settlements with Malacca and Penang. It won full independence in 1965. After ending their trip to Singapore on Thursday, the couple will kick off a week-long trip to Malaysia. They will visit Kuala Lumpur, meet with tribespeople on Borneo island before heading to historic George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Charles and Camilla will end their tour with a visit to India, where they will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Commonwealth Summit will take place in Britain in April, with leaders from more than 50 countries expected to attend.

Prince Charles, Camilla begin Asia tour

From her engagement to Prince Charles as a shy teenager to her roles as doting mother, humanitarian and global celebrity, Diana&#39;s turbulent life still captivates people around the world.

Young, beautiful and fun, she seemed refreshingly informal when she married the heir to the throne in 1981 at age 20, after what the media and palace officials portrayed as a fairytale romance.

But the acrimonious breakdown of her relationship with Charles, during which every salacious detail was played out in the world&#39;s newspapers, would shake the monarchy to the core and drive her to self-harm.

For many people, the public image of Diana remains fixed as she was in an extraordinary 1995 interview in which she spoke out about her feelings over her husband&#39;s affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, her own infidelity and her history of self-harm.

The way she spilled secrets, stripping the monarchy of its mystique and casting doubt on Charles&#39;s ability to be king, drew horror in some parts of the British establishment.

But for many ordinary people, her troubles -- revived once again in a slew of new documentaries and interviews -- made her only more popular.

&quot;Like Marilyn Monroe, she has frozen in time. She was like a creature locked in a piece of amber. There forever -- beautiful, young, vulnerable and damaged,&quot; said royal biographer Penny Junor.

Before and after the royal wedding

Born on July 1, 1961, Diana grew up in an aristocratic family with ties to the monarch -- her father worked for the late king George VI and Queen Elizabeth II.

She grew up with three siblings, in a childhood marred by the bitter break-up of her parents.

She left school at 16 with no qualifications and went to finishing school in Switzerland, before getting a job in a nursery in London.

From the moment she was linked to Charles, however, her life changed.

The prince was under increasing pressure to find a bride, and at the age of 32, he proposed -- perhaps too soon.

Diana said they only met 13 times before their wedding.

She quickly fulfilled her primary duty as princess, with the birth of an heir, William, the following year, followed by Harry two years later.

Diana was a hands-on, adoring mother, and also possessed a remarkable empathy that drew people to her. Coupled with a strong sense of style, she rode a wave of popular and media enthusiasm for the monarchy.

She used her position to champion some of the most marginalised groups in society, shaking hands with patients with AIDS and leprosy, who were viewed as pariahs at the time.

But beneath the surface, she was in turmoil, plagued by bulimia and wracked by self-doubt made worse by the feeling that her husband did not love her -- and the rest of the royals did not care.

End of a fairytale 
 
Rumours that the marriage was in trouble broke into the open in 1992, after Andrew Morton lifted the lid on Diana&#39;s misery with a revelatory book, tactically endorsed by the princess herself.

That year ended with the bombshell announcement that the royal couple would separate.

The scandal only deepened with further recriminations and allegations appearing in the media, before first Charles and then Diana admitted to being unfaithful.

In her 1995 interview with the BBC&#39;s Panorama programme, Diana gave her version of events, admitting her affair with army officer James Hewitt, but also criticising the royals and questioning her husband&#39;s ability to be king.

This crossed a line. A few weeks later, the queen, who had already publicly expressed her sadness at the situation, wrote to both Charles and Diana urging them to seek a divorce.

On August 28, 1996, the divorce was granted and Diana was stripped of her title of Her Royal Highness. The fairytale was over.

End of an era 
 
Still a princess, Diana remained in the public eye.

She found new love in Dodi Fayed, the son of millionaire businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, who was also killed with her on August 31, 1997, as their car was chased by paparazzi through the streets of Paris.

The outpouring of public grief was immense.

Millions of flowers were left outside her home at Kensington Palace, and thousands lined the streets of London to pay their last respects at her funeral.

Much of the popular anger over her death was directed at the royal family, fuelled by the queen&#39;s initial refusal to return to London to greet the crowds, and there was a surge of republicanism.

Two decades on, public support for the monarchy is as strong as ever and Charles -- with Camilla -- has to a large extent been rehabilitated.

But neither will likely ever match the popularity of his first wife, the self-styled &quot;queen of people&#39;s hearts&quot;.

In her interview in 1995, Diana gave her version of events, admitting her affair with an army, but also criticising the royals and questioning her husband's ability to be king.

From her engagement to Prince Charles as a shy teenager to her roles as doting mother, humanitarian and global celebrity, Diana's turbulent life still captivates people around the world. Young, beautiful and fun, she seemed refreshingly informal when she married the heir to the throne in 1981 at age 20, after what the media and palace officials portrayed as a fairytale romance. But the acrimonious breakdown of her relationship with Charles, during which every salacious detail was played out in the world's newspapers, would shake the monarchy to the core and drive her to self-harm. For many people, the public image of Diana remains fixed as she was in an extraordinary 1995 interview in which she spoke out about her feelings over her husband's affair with Camilla Parker Bowles, her own infidelity and her history of self-harm. The way she spilled secrets, stripping the monarchy of its mystique and casting doubt on Charles's ability to be king, drew horror in some parts of the British establishment. But for many ordinary people, her troubles -- revived once again in a slew of new documentaries and interviews -- made her only more popular. "Like Marilyn Monroe, she has frozen in time. She was like a creature locked in a piece of amber. There forever -- beautiful, young, vulnerable and damaged," said royal biographer Penny Junor. Before and after the royal wedding Born on July 1, 1961, Diana grew up in an aristocratic family with ties to the monarch -- her father worked for the late king George VI and Queen Elizabeth II. She grew up with three siblings, in a childhood marred by the bitter break-up of her parents. She left school at 16 with no qualifications and went to finishing school in Switzerland, before getting a job in a nursery in London. From the moment she was linked to Charles, however, her life changed. The prince was under increasing pressure to find a bride, and at the age of 32, he proposed -- perhaps too soon. Diana said they only met 13 times before their wedding. She quickly fulfilled her primary duty as princess, with the birth of an heir, William, the following year, followed by Harry two years later. Diana was a hands-on, adoring mother, and also possessed a remarkable empathy that drew people to her. Coupled with a strong sense of style, she rode a wave of popular and media enthusiasm for the monarchy. She used her position to champion some of the most marginalised groups in society, shaking hands with patients with AIDS and leprosy, who were viewed as pariahs at the time. But beneath the surface, she was in turmoil, plagued by bulimia and wracked by self-doubt made worse by the feeling that her husband did not love her -- and the rest of the royals did not care. End of a fairytale Rumours that the marriage was in trouble broke into the open in 1992, after Andrew Morton lifted the lid on Diana's misery with a revelatory book, tactically endorsed by the princess herself. That year ended with the bombshell announcement that the royal couple would separate. The scandal only deepened with further recriminations and allegations appearing in the media, before first Charles and then Diana admitted to being unfaithful. In her 1995 interview with the BBC's Panorama programme, Diana gave her version of events, admitting her affair with army officer James Hewitt, but also criticising the royals and questioning her husband's ability to be king. This crossed a line. A few weeks later, the queen, who had already publicly expressed her sadness at the situation, wrote to both Charles and Diana urging them to seek a divorce. On August 28, 1996, the divorce was granted and Diana was stripped of her title of Her Royal Highness. The fairytale was over. End of an era Still a princess, Diana remained in the public eye. She found new love in Dodi Fayed, the son of millionaire businessman Mohamed Al Fayed, who was also killed with her on August 31, 1997, as their car was chased by paparazzi through the streets of Paris. The outpouring of public grief was immense. Millions of flowers were left outside her home at Kensington Palace, and thousands lined the streets of London to pay their last respects at her funeral. Much of the popular anger over her death was directed at the royal family, fuelled by the queen's initial refusal to return to London to greet the crowds, and there was a surge of republicanism. Two decades on, public support for the monarchy is as strong as ever and Charles -- with Camilla -- has to a large extent been rehabilitated. But neither will likely ever match the popularity of his first wife, the self-styled "queen of people's hearts".

'Frozen in time': Princess Diana's fairytale ended in tragedy

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Prince Charles backs new education bond for India

Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla arrive in India

Prince Charles, Camilla begin Asia tour

'Frozen in time': Princess Diana's fairytale ended in tragedy