On 8 November 1875, the Prince of Wales arrived at Bombay, the first stop of his four month tour of the Indian subcontinent. The Prince had longed to visit India and the tour was seen as a way of providing a personal link between India and the British Monarchy.

A group of advisors, friends and members of the Prince’s household accompanied him. These included William Howard Russell, a prominent journalist who recorded the journey in a diary, and Sydney Prior Hall, an artist who captured the tour through his vivid watercolours and sketches.

During the tour, the Prince of Wales travelled by boat, rail, carriage and elephant. Weekly newspaper reports in the United Kingdom also recorded the Prince’s journey in detail.