Shropshire Star

King meets Indian PM for talks at Sandringham

Charles met Narendra Modi following the Indian leader’s summit with Sir Keir Starmer at Chequers.

By contributor Tony Jones, PA Court Correspondent
Published
Supporting image for story: King meets Indian PM for talks at Sandringham
The King met Mr Modi at Sandringham (Aaron Chown/PA)

The King has met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the signing of a trade deal between the UK and India.

Charles and the Indian leader sat down for talks at the King’s private Sandringham estate in Norfolk after Sir Keir Starmer met his Indian counterpart at Chequers.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal formally signed the trade agreement in the great hall of Chequers, Sir Keir’s official country residence.

Mr Modi and the King shake hands before a tree at Sandringham
The King was given a tree to be planted this autumn, inspired by an environmental initiative launched by Mr Modi (Aaron Chown/PA)

It is thought the King last met India’s leader in December 2023 on the sidelines of the Cop28 UN climate change summit, hosted that year in Dubai.

There has been speculation for some time the King and Queen could make a state visit to India, one of the major countries of the Commonwealth which does not have Charles as its head.

During their time together, the King was given a tree to be planted this autumn, inspired by the environmental initiative Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam launched by Mr Modi, which encourages people to plant a tree in tribute to their mothers.