Prince Charles turns pensioner, celebrates 65th birthday in 'God's Own Country'

Kumarakom/Kochi: Prince Charles, the heir to the British throne, who turned 65 on Thursday, celebrated his birthday in the idyllic backwaters of Vembanad lake in Kumarakom.

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla Parker Bowles were joined by Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, and his family to cut the birthday cake. He later left for Colombo for the CHOGM summit where he would represent Queen Elizabeth II.

Chandy presented a wood-carved elephant as a memento to the royal guests and spent about 10 minutes in their resort suite. "They appreciated the beauty of Kerala very much and said they would like to visit the state again," Chandy said.

Details of three projects, one of them concerning education of the hearing and speech impaired, were given to the Prince, seeking the UK's support.

As they arrived for a visit to the 16th century Jewish Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth, at nearby Mattancherry in Fort Kochi, hundreds of people lined up the narrow street of Jew town to greet the Royal couple.

They seemed to be amused to see and hear people suddenly breaking into 'Happy birthday to You', 'Happy birthday dear Charles', as they walked down in the sweltering heat visiting curio shops and a women's cooperative.The couple acknowledged the greetings and waved as they walked past.

Asked how he felt on his 65th birthday, he said he was 'feeling older'.

Prince Charles also picked up some wooden cars and a long wooden train, a wooden rattle, fuelling speculation that it could be for his grandson, George Alexander Louis, son of Prince William and Kate Middleton.

They also visited the Dutch Palace, built by the Portuguese in the 16th century.

The royal couple, who arrived on their maiden visit to the state on November 11, seemed to be happy with the spontaneous response they received from people everywhere.

Asked if he liked Kerala, Prince Charles, who concluded a nine-day visit to India, said:"Very very much. Very generous people, very hospitable."

The decision of Prince Charles to choose Kerala for celebrating his birthday is significant as the state, a top tourist destination, receives the biggest number of foreign arrivals from Britain.

Kerala Tourism Minister, A P Anil Kumar felt that it was a matter of honour for the state that the Royal couple chose Kerala to celebrate the birthday.

"We are truly delighted that the royal couple enjoyed their stay in our state and experienced the many facets of the serene beauty and diverse cultural life of Kerala," he said.

"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," Kerala Tourism Secretary, Suman Billa, said.

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 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 and Camilla had a taste of the state’s abundant natural beauty and rich cultural heritage during their four-day stay.

One of the highlights of the visit was the royal couple watching a brief performance of Kathakali at the Cochin Cultural Centre.

Impressed by the expressive portrayal of ‘Narakasura Vadham’ or ‘Slaying of Narakasura’, the demon king, considered one of the most dramatic performances in Kathakali, Prince Charles stayed on to talk to the artistes.

According to the Kathakali artistes, the Prince was so intrigued by the size and scale of their costumes that at one point during the conversation he asked how anyone could wear such a large headgear. He also told them that he wanted to return to witness a longer Kathakali performance.

Prince Charles also visited India's first indigeneously built aircraft carrier, under construction at the Cochin Shipyard and received Shri Uthradom Thirunal Marthanda Varma, the present head of the erstwhile royal family of Travancore.