Prince Charles Celebrates 65th Birthday in ‘God’s Own Country’

TechnoparkToday.com>> November 14, 2013: Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, celebrated his 65th birthday in Kerala on Thursday with the God’s Own Country’s idyllic backwaters and rich tapestry of cultures and customs setting an ideal stage for the royal event.

The celebrations began in the backdrop of the majestic Vembanad Lake in Kumarakom, where the Prince of Wales and his wife Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall, were joined by Kerala Chief Minister Shri Oommen Chandy and his family to cut the birthday cake.

Later, the British royal couple, who arrived in Kerala three days ago, paid a visit to the 16th century Jewish synagogue, the oldest in the whole of Commonwealth countries, located in the heritage town of Mattancherry near Fort Kochi. They also strolled through the narrow lanes of the old Jewish town lined with warehouses built for a flourishing spice trade centuries ago, visibly savouring every moment of the experience at the breathtaking waterfront of Fort Kochi.  Prince Charles and Camilla also took a tour of the Mattancherry Palace Museum.

“It is a matter of honour for Kerala that the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall chose the state to celebrate his 65th birthday,” said Kerala Tourism Minister Shri A P Anilkumar.

“The fact that Prince Charles and his wife spent his birthday in Kerala is an endorsement of the international status of the state among the world’s top destinations for a unique holiday experience,” said Kerala Tourism Secretary Shri Suman Billa.

Prince Charles and Camilla had chosen New Zealand’s capital Wellington, another top tourist destination in the world, for celebrating his 64th birthday last year.

“The visit by the British royal couple will leave a lasting effect of the state’s ever growing international reputation among both domestic and international travellers,” said Kerala Tourism Director Shri S Harikishore.

Britain is Kerala’s biggest tourism market outside India, accounting for nearly 150,000 arrivals last year. British travellers also form a sizeable chunk of repeat visitors to the state.

Prince Charles also visited the Cochin Shipyard and received Shri Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the present head of the erstwhile royal family of Travancore, at the Taj Malabar hotel in Kochi.