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Their Majesties King Charles and Queen Camilla Visit Neasden Temple, London, UK

29 Oct 2025

The royal entourage arrived at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir around 11.08am on Wednesday 29 October 2025

Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla entered the Mandir courtyard amid a light drizzle of rain

As per royal protocol, Their Majesties were first greeted by the Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Brent, Mei Sim Lai, who introduced HM The King to the local mayor, Cllr Ryan Hack

HM The King was also introduced to the Mayor of Harrow, Cllr Anjana Patel

Yogvivekdas Swami, Head Swami of the Mandir, greeted HM The King on behalf of HH Mahant Swami Maharaj in a traditional Hindu manner with a flower garland and nadachhadi (sacred thread for the wrist)

HM The Queen was also accorded the same traditional welcome, symbolising the sacred bond of friendship and goodwill

Jitu Patel, Chairman for BAPS UK & Europe, also greeted HM The King and accompanied him during a tour of the Mandir

HM The King enjoyed learning about the various environmentally friendly features of the Mandir

In the upper sanctum of the Mandir, HM The King observed as a child offered flowers before the murtis of Parabrahma Purushottam Bhagwan Swaminarayan, Aksharbrahma Gunatitanand Swami and Aksharmukta Gopalanand Swami

Yogvivekdas Swami explained the divine glory of Bhagwan Swaminarayan

Jitu Patel accompanied HM The King at the other shrines in the Mandir

Rena Amin, a senior BAPS volunteer, accompanied HM The Queen

HM The Queen observed as a child offered flowers before the murtis

Their Majesties learned about the succession of spiritual Gurus, including Shastriji Maharaj, the founder of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha

TM The King and Queen marvelled at the traditional Hindu architecture of the Mandir's central dome and pillars

TM The King and Queen took several minutes in the upper sanctum to appreciate the beauty, peace, and spiritual ambience

TM The King and Queen came out into the roop chowki to appreciate the ornate porch and the context of the Mandir in north-west London

The cold autumn rain failed to dampen the warm enthusiasm of Their Majesties

TM The King and Queen observed a family offer abhishek to Nilkanth Varni Maharaj

While offering the abhishek, the family prayed for the Royal Family and whole of the United Kingdom

TM The King and Queen engaged warmly with the family, including the young children

HM The King enjoyed a warm exchange with the family

Yogvivekdas Swami introduced the resident monks to HM The King, highlighting the spiritual guidance and pastoral care they provide to the fellowship across the UK and Europe

TM The King and Queen greeted the trustees of BAPS UK

TM The King and Queen were shown a model of the upcoming BAPS Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir in Paris, the first traditional Hindu temple in France, before meeting various members of the Project Team

TM The King and Queen were introduced to various charity and community leaders who have partnered with the Mandir for its social impact work

TM The King and Queen saw the special Royal Mail stamp that features Neasden Temple as an iconic place of worship for Hindus in the UK. Learn more about the stamp here

Hundreds of devotees and well-wishers had been patiently waiting for Their Majesties' arrival in the assembly hall

TM The King and Queen were warmly welcomed in the assembly hall by children and adults

HM The King took his seat in the hall for a brief assembly

HM The Queen took her seat in the hall for a brief assembly

More than 120 children delivered a choral rendition of Vedic prayers and verses from the Satsang Diksha

HM The King listened attentively to the verses and appreciated their profound meaning as presented on the screen

The children had memorised all 315 Sanskrit verses of the Satsang Diksha, a manual for spiritual living authored by HH Mahant Swami Maharaj himself

HM The Queen listened attentively to the verses and appreciated their profound meaning as presented on the screen

The children had memorised all 315 Sanskrit verses of the Satsang Diksha, a manual for spiritual living authored by HH Mahant Swami Maharaj himself

HM The Queen was eager to learn more about the children and the verses they were singing

The choir of children concluded the recital with the final verse of the Satsang Diksha, praying for supreme bliss and auspiciousness to spread throughout the world

Yogvivekdas Swami delivered a welcome address on behalf of the entire fellowship

Yogvivekdas Swami recalled the previous visits of HM The King, revealing “a relationship that runs long and deep, spanning over four decades”

Hundreds of devotees and several distinguished guests had joined the assembly to welcome Their Majesties

HM The Queen enjoying the assembly

In his address, Yogvivekdas Swami reflected upon HM The King's service and the work of the Mandir, noting the shared commitment to art and architecture, empowering youths, public service, and fostering faith

Yogvivekdas Swami noted that all the service projects of the Mandir are inspired and guided by HH Mahant Swami Maharaj

HM The King and the congregation then watched a video message sent by HH Mahant Swami Maharaj from India

HM The Queen and the congregation then watched a video message sent by HH Mahant Swami Maharaj from India

In his personal video message, HH Mahant Swami Maharaj said to HM The King, “Your kindness and friendship have long been cherished by our community.”

HM The King appreciated the heartfelt message from HH Mahant Swami Maharaj

On behalf of HH Mahant Swami Maharaj, Yogvivekdas Swami presented an Amrut Kalash – symbolising auspiciousness, righteous prosperity and spiritual fulfilment – to HM The King

Yogvivekdas Swami also presented a copy of the letter HH Mahant Swami Maharaj had written to HM The King

Letter from HH Mahant Swami Maharaj to HM King Charles III, praying for the Royal Family and the UK’s continued progress and prosperity

HM The Queen also received a gift – a box of assorted traditional Indian sweets, symbolising the continued sweet friendship between the Royal Family and the Mandir

As HM The King departed from the assembly hall, he met several devotees and volunteers, some of whom had been serving at the Mandir for decades

As HM The Queen departed from the assembly hall, she met several devotees and volunteers, some of whom had been serving at the Mandir for decades

Before Their Majesties departed, Sanjay Kara presented a carved, wooden artefact to HM The Queen as a memento of her visit

HM The King interacted with children before departing from the Mandir

Despite the light rain, TM The King and Queen posed for a photograph before the mahamurti of Pramukh Swami Maharaj in the Mandir courtyard

HM The King thanked Yogvivekdas Swami again for the fellowship’s warm welcome

TM The King and The Queen departed from the Mandir around 12.30pm