The photograph of Mrs May clad in a sari plays well to her Exotic Marigold Hotel constituency but are we to assume that it is her preferred sightseeing attire or should we now expect to see other carefully chosen folkloric costumes on official visits?

The Vietnamese ao dai with its alluring thigh-high split springs to mind as something that might appeal to the PM. No doubt her Indian hosts would have been far too polite to point out how inappropriate it is to adopt fancy dress on a trade mission but perhaps, when he comes to woo a post-Brexit City of London, Mr Modi could emphasise the patronising absurdity of the photo-op by sporting a bowler hat and pinstripes, while no visit to the Tower of London could be complete without dressing up as a Beefeater.

Jullien Gaer

London

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