William, Kate to follow Diana's footsteps; to visit Taj Mahal in India

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit the Taj Mahal on their upcoming trip to India.

Prince William will follow in the footsteps of his late mother, Princess Diana, by visiting the Unesco World Heritage Site when he and his wife Duchess Catherine travel to India in April.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge wave off Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan from a creative industry event to celebrate cultural collaboration between the UK and China at Lancaster House on October 21, 2015 in London, England. (Getty)

The Duke of Cambridge's mother was pictured sitting on a bench in front of the landmark in Agra in 1992, in what became a symbol of her loneliness months before she and Prince Charles separated.

An 'advance team' from the British High Commission reportedly held talks with officials in Agra last week to arrange the visit.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge attend an event hosted by Mind, at Harrow College to mark World Mental Health Day on October 10, 2015 in Harrow, England. (Getty)

A source told the Times of India: "The advance team did not disclose much information about the itinerary. Even the date was not shared with us."

This will be the first visit to the country for William and Catherine, who will travel without their children, Prince George, two, and Princess Charlotte, nine months.

(AP)

They will remain in the UK with their nanny, Maria Borallo, and grandparents, Michael and Carole Middleton.

Their trip to India was announced last year with a spokesperson saying: "Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit India in the spring of 2016.

Diana, Princess of Wales poses alone at the Taj Mahal during her visit in India on February 11, 1992. 12 years earlier her husband, the Prince of Wales, posed in the same spot. (Getty images)

"The visit is being undertaken at the request of Her Majesty's Government and will be the first time The Duke and Duchess have visited the country."

William's father, Prince Charles had visited India as a single man of 32 in 1980. Sitting on a stone bench in front of the Taj Mahal, the iconic symbol of love, he had vowed to return one day with the woman he loved.

(Getty images)

Twelve years later saw this happen as the Princess of Wales's accompanied her husband on a joint tour to the country.

But the couple pictured never happened and the iconic image of the Princess of Wales sat alone on the very same bench which many critics hailed as symbolic of cracks in the couple's marriage.

The Queen is a another royal to have visited India with her last trip taking place in 1997.

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