Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton, have met many well-wishers during their royal tour of India. But on Sunday night the couple met their number one fan – Mr Boman Kohinoor, a 93-year-old restaurant owner from Mumbai.
Mr Kohinoor became the star of a social media campaign after he expressed his desire to meet the royals. The misspelt hashtag "#WillKatMeetMe" was used on Twitter.
The nonagenarian even invited William and Kate to dine at his local eatery Britannia & Co., which is famed for its cuisine as well as the royal family memorabilia that adorns the restaurant walls.
© Photo: TwitterMr Kohinoor calls himself the "fan of the royal family number one"
Sadly, William and Kate didn't have time to visit the restaurant during their short stay in Mumbai, but the couple did invite Mr Kohinoor to their hotel for a private meeting.
A spokesperson for Kensington Palace said: "Their Royal Highnesses heard about his lovely comments to the press and his social media campaign about his hopes to meet them upon landing on Sunday.
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"They would have loved to visit his restaurant, but with time tight, staff from The British Deputy High Commission went to visit him in person to invite him to the Taj to say hello before last night's gala.
"They spent five minutes chatting and laughing and Their Royal Highnesses were very grateful for his enthusiasm and warmth."
© Photo: Getty ImagesMr Kohinoor owns the Britannia & Co. restaurant in Mumbai
A photo of the sweet encounter was posted on Kensington Palace's official Twitter account, showing William and Kate laughing with Mr Kohinoor, who calls himself the "fan of the royal family number one".
Mr Kohinoor's restaurant is decked out with photos of the royals including William and Kate and the Queen. The 93-year-old has received both a letter and a photo from Her Majesty, after Mr Kohinoor wrote to the monarch, inviting her to India.
"She was so sweet, she was so good, to send me her full size picture from London and I got it framed," said Mr Kohinoor. The picture now hangs in his restaurant.
Prior to William and Kate's visit, he had extended his offer to the couple, saying: "I do not know their itinerary, whatever it may be, but if they have heard about us and if they would like to visit us, they are most welcome. They are most welcome."
