Queen Elizabeth II received countless gifts in her life, but one of her treasured possessions was a handkerchief gifted to her, ironically, by none else, but Mahatma Gandhi, who led India to freedom from the British Empire.
Gandhi had gifted the handkerchief to Elizabeth when she had married Philip Mountbatten in November 1947, just a few months after the British Empire lost its “crown jewel”, India.
The Queen showed the handkerchief to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during one of the meetings between the two at Buckingham Palace in London. Modi recalled the occasion as he took to Twitter to join the world leaders to mourn for the longest-serving monarch of the United Kingdom and the world after her demise on Thursday.
“Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be remembered as a stalwart of our times,” tweeted Modi. “She provided inspiring leadership to her nation and people. She personified dignity and decency in public life. Pained by her demise. My thoughts are with her family and people of (the) UK in this sad hour,” added the prime minister.
He recalled his “memorable meetings” with the Queen during his visits to the UK in 2015 and 2018. “I will never forget her warmth and kindness. During one of the meetings she showed me the handkerchief Mahatma Gandhi gifted her on her wedding. I will always cherish that gesture.”