Princess of Wales packs a box of traditional Indian sweets to take home for George, Charlotte and Louis during Leicester visit – as Kate tells restaurant owners ‘I’m OK with spice’

The Princess of Wales was thinking of her three children as she ordered a selection of traditional Indian sweets during her visit to Leicester yesterday.

Kate, 44, was at the city’s famous Bobby’s restaurant, named after a 1973 Bollywood movie, when she noticed a display case full of colorful desserts.

In a video of the princess, she is seen asking owner Dharmesh Lakhani questions about the different types of ‘mithai’ or sweets in his shop.

When Mr Lakhani, 57, pointed out a healthier ‘barfi’ – a fudge-like treat made with figs, almonds and pistachios – Kate said ‘it looks delicious’.

She also told Mr Lakhani that her husband, the Prince of Wales, loved chocolate and that an employee had prepared a box of sweets for him to take home.

Bobby’s was opened in 1976 by Dharmesh Lakhani’s parents, who moved to the UK from Uganda when he was a child.

Mr Lakhani now runs the restaurant with his wife Enna, 56, and they invite the princess for tea and snacks.

Enna offered to share her family’s recipe for a delicious Gujarati snack, while Kate talked about her love of Indian food, saying “I like spice” as she tried a chutney made from green chillies.

She added: ‘I like coriander and chilli, but William doesn’t really like coriander.’

Kate was given a glowing welcome in the East Midlands yesterday, with crowds dancing, honking horns and flocking to shake hands as they celebrated Holi, India’s festival of colour, love and spring.

The mother-of-three looked stunning in a pleated cream dress by Oolo Ralph Lauren and a custom coat by Chris Kerr.

The future Queen added a yellow silk scarf as she gracefully accepted a floral garland of pearls and roses, a symbol of respect in Indian culture, upon arrival at the Belgrave Neighborhood Centre.

The royal added a Bollywood-inspired touch to her ensemble with Sézane’s gold Dina earrings, with blue gemstones dangling from the tassels; earrings are also on sale from £200 to £100.

‘Welcome to Leicester, ma’am,’ said one customer, who stopped Kate outside a jeweler as she visited family businesses at the heart of the city’s South Asian community.

A group of Bollywood dancers performed a routine for her, during which she was given a rose to hold. She told them her three children would ‘love’ their dance moves.

“You must be super fit because she’s super energetic,” the princess then said.

‘My kids love it, they love to dance. “Louis would love your dance routine,” she continued, referring to her youngest child.

Mr Lakhani now runs the restaurant with his wife Enna (not pictured), 56, and they have invited the princess for tea and snacks.

The Princess of Wales looked elegant in a Ralph Lauren dress while visiting the Shreeji Dham Haveli Hindu Temple in Leicester yesterday

When he left the community center, a crowd had gathered outside, and people were streaming forward to greet him with hugs and requests for selfies.

‘Thank you for coming to see me,’ he said.

As we turned the corner towards the Golden Road, minibuses were honking their horns and drivers were waving when they saw the princess on the busy road.

While still wearing the garland, she visited Ladlees, a family sari shop, where she admired the embroidery of the fabric and asked if the skills were passed down from generation to generation in the family.

Later, the princess took part in traditional dancing and offered milk during her first visit to a Hindu temple in Britain.

Kate was barefoot as she walked through Shreeji Dham Haveli, a Hindu temple dedicated to the teachings of Shrimad Vallabhacharya Mahaprabhuji that serves the local Vaishnav community in Leicester.

He was told about the festival of Holi and its themes of ‘the coming of spring, spiritual renewal and community connection’.

Kate was greeted with a thumbs up and a wreath of flowers placed on her forehead and blessed by one of the women of the temple.

As per tradition, he took off his shoes and was given a detailed tour by Mayur Kachela, a member of the executive committee, and explained the religious significance of the ceremony and ornate decorations.

The Princess was taken to a table where women were making wreaths of fresh rose petals, and she asked them about their technique and how long it took to do it.

“Thank you very much for accepting me,” he said to the hosts. ‘I feel very lucky to have been invited. ‘It’s nice to be able to come in person.’

Kate greets people during her visit to Leicester on March 5

He repeatedly clasped his hands in a namaste gesture to say thank you.

‘Does this happen every day?’ he said. ‘How does the community or lifestyle fit into the temple?’

Members of the temple noted his knowledge of the Holi festival and his many questions, especially regarding how young people get involved in the temple.

Kate was later invited to join the women’s dance during a religious ceremony and said ‘oh, go ahead then’.

The women leading the dance said they didn’t expect him to participate but were delighted with his enthusiasm.

‘It was absolutely magnificent,’ Mr Kachela said afterwards. ‘He was really accepting of what we were doing here and was really engaged.

It’s part of our belief and it was lovely that he accepted what we were doing.’