Chopra (top), Azmi

London, July 19, 2008: Buckingham Palace today confirmed that Prince Charles had met Shabana Azmi, actress and social activist, as part of “a group of business and cultural leaders from India to explore ways in which the Prince’s Charities can develop charitable links between Britain and India – a country which has been close to the Prince’s heart for many years”.

The guests who had three days in London, during which they had a private dinner with the Prince and a brain storming session at the end of the trip, included K.P. Singh of DLF; Naina Lal Kidwai, CEO of HSBC India; and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who asked if he could use the royal palaces as locations for his next Bollywood blockbuster (“Yes, if the terms are right!”).

K.P. Singh, who has a home in London, was out playing golf this afternoon, so it was not possible to ask him what he thought of the prince’s hospitality.

It is understood that Mukesh Ambani, Ratan Tata and Lakshmi Mittal were unable to attend.

A spokeswoman for Charles said that the Indian guests spent “three days in London learning about the work of the Prince’s Charities and developing ideas for ways in which the charities can work in partnership with organisations and businesses in India to initiate charitable activities”.

They visited the headquarters of the Prince’s Trust, and the renovated warehouse in Shoreditch which houses the Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment, the Prince’s School of Traditional Arts and the Prince’s Drawing School. They also heard of the work of the Prince’s Regeneration Trust.

They were briefed on the two most recent initiatives of the Prince’s Charities: the British Asian Trust and the Prince’s Youth Business International.

Guests were allowed to bring partners but not allowed to take away souvenirs with royal crests.

The Indian party also included Sajjan Jindal, vice chairman and managing director, JSW Steel Limited; Lalit Modi, chairman of the Indian Premier League and vice president of the BCCI; S K Mishra, chairman, INTACH; and Bunker Roy, founder, Barefoot College.