William, the 44-year-old heir to the British throne, and Kate, also 44, are scheduled to attend a series of events across Mumbai, including Tuesday's Earthshot Prize ceremony. The annual awards will give five winners £1 million ($1.3 million) each to help expand projects aimed at addressing climate change.

William founded the Earthshot Prize in 2020 as part of his environmental work. A Kensington Palace spokesperson described the initiative as an effort to replace pessimism with possibility, arguing that the creativity and determination applied to environmental challenges can be as powerful as the challenges themselves.

Indian cricket great Sachin Tendulkar, actors Alia Bhatt and Rami Malek, and British pop group Take That are due to join the royals at the awards ceremony. Take That will make its first performance in India, saying it was special to appear alongside people working toward a better future for the planet.

William and Kate will meet Modi on Wednesday. Kensington Palace said the meeting reflects the importance of the UK-India bilateral relationship, including in defence and technology, as William develops his international role.

The programme also includes events connected with Indian cricket, fashion and cinema. Kate has substantially reduced her official workload since undergoing preventative chemotherapy for an unspecified cancer in 2024, though her public appearances have gradually increased.

She is now in remission and has said the illness continues to affect her life. Kate has not accompanied William on his previous overseas trips since her treatment; her only other significant foreign visit since 2024 was a two-day solo trip to Italy in May for her early childhood development work.

In an interview published this week in Country Life magazine, which William guest edited, Kate described recovery as non-linear. “I was told in hospital that my recovery would not be linear. There will be good days and bad days, that it will take time,” she said.