India's head of state was greeted with a generous helping of British pageantry as she began a three-day state visit on Tuesday.
Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family met President Pratibha Patil as she arrived in Windsor, west of London. The president and the monarch left for Windsor Castle in a procession of carriages, escorted by the Household Cavalry. Some of the route to the imposing fortress was lined by guardsmen wearing their distinctive bearskin hats and scarlet tunics.
Once at the castle, the Indian president was greeted by an honor guard, which she inspected together with Prince Philip, the queen's husband. Members of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards towered over her as she walked through the lines.
This is the first Indian state visit since 1990. The queen last visited India in 1997.
Patil and her husband, Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat, are staying as the queen's guests at Windsor, where they were served lamb with rosemary and thyme at a white-tie banquet attended by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, author J.K. Rowling and prominent members of Britain's large Indian community.
The queen said Britain and India "have a long shared history which today is a source of great strength in building a new partnership fit for this new century."
The monarch said Britons of Indian descent "represent one of the United Kingdom's most dynamic and successful communities."
The president is also scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, business leaders and leaders of Britain's opposition parties.
The Foreign Office said much of the visit will focus on investment opportunities for British and Indian companies, and highlight the cooperation ahead of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, which are to be held in Delhi, and London's Summer Olympics in 2012.
