The seven-day tour of India and Bhutan is the longest time that the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, has been away from her children Prince George and Princess Charlotte. So naturally, the doting mum was anxious about leaving her little ones at home.
As she attended a Bollywood gala held in her and Prince William's honour in Mumbai on Sunday, Kate admitted her concerns to actress and fellow mum-of-two Madhuri Dixit.
"She said she loves being here and the people are very welcoming, but she was worried she may miss her children," Madhuri told reporters at the evening do.
© Photo: Getty ImagesWilliam and Kate will spend seven days away from their children George and Charlotte
George and baby Charlotte were clearly at the forefront of William and Kate's minds. The royal parents, who began their tour on Sunday, also spoke to Bollywood's demi-god Shah Rukh Khan about their brood.
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"This was the first time I'd met them," said Shah. "I was talking about my kids who are studying in London. It's a very short visit and I said they should come back and spend longer here.
"They said they'd love to but they'd had to leave their children at home as their schedule was so jam-packed."
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Duchess told actress Madhuri Dixit she was "worried" she would miss her children
William and Kate were guests of honour at the glittering gala, which was held at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, where they are spending the night. The couple met a host of famous faces from Bollywood before sitting down for a thali-style supper.
The royals chose the vegetarian dishes, which they had also done at an earlier engagement, and feasted on mushroom and pea curry, vegetable kebabs, spinach and corn curry, paneer, cauliflower rice, red lentil dahl and traditional Indian sweets.
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Kate was seated between Shah Rukh Khan and Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of vaccine manufacturer Serum Institute of India, while William had Bollywood's darling Aishwarya Rai, 42, to his left and Mrs Rachnee Sarna, wife of Taj Hotels CEO Rakesh Sarna, to his right.
© Photo: Getty ImagesKate told actor Shah Rukh Khan that she had to leave her children at home because of her and William's jam-packed schedule
The Prince also took to the stage to give a speech, in which he revealed that his wife Kate had always wanted to visit India. He said: "When Catherine and I were married, India was the first place on Catherine's list that she told me that she wanted to visit. Two children and five years later, we have finally made it – and we are both honoured to be here."
He added: "On a personal level, Catherine and I are full of admiration for this diverse and democratic society. No one can come here without being awed and amazed; no one can come without a sense of excitement about all that India has achieved in the past and the extraordinary promise it holds for the future."
The lavish event raised money for three charities that the Duke and Duchess had met earlier in the day – Magic Bus, Doorstep, and Childline. William and Kate met representatives from each organisation during a visit to Oval Maidan, where they also took part in a game of cricket.
