Mumbai’s dabbawalas grieve Queen's demise, recall breakfast with her

Mumbai, Sep 9: There is an unlikely group of people in India who are mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II. They are the famous dabbawalas of Mumbai who are grieving with the royal family and people all over the world.

Mumbai's famed dabbawalas on Friday said they were grieving with the royal family and people all over the world after the demise of Queen Elizabeth.

"On behalf of all the dabbawalas of Mumbai, I pay my heartfelt condolences to the royal family," said Raghunath Medge, an office bearer of the Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Suppliers Association.

The grief feels personal for the dabbawalas because during his maiden visit to Mumbai in 2003, Prince Charles had made an expected friend in the city-- the Mumbai Dabbawalas and thus began their association with the royal family.

Later, Medge and another association office-bearer Sopan Mare had attended the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles in April 2005. During the eight-day visit to London for the royal wedding, Medge said they had breakfast twice with Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family, according to a report in Economic Times.

The dabbawalas operate a globally renowned lunchbox delivery and return system that supplies hot lunches from homes and restaurants to people at work.