Queen Elizabeth will host a banquet in honour of President Pratibha Patil, who arrived in London on Monday on the first-leg of a two-nation state visit to the UK and Cyprus.

During the visit, she will receive the Commonwealth baton from the Queen, marking initiation of the year-long relay of the symbol of the sporting event to be held in New Delhi next October.

London is the first stop of Patil’s week-long two-nation tour that will also take her to Cyprus.

During her visit to Britain, first by an Indian President after 20 years, she will hold talks with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and meet Leader of Opposition David Cameroon.

Some letters of Mahatma Gandhi and a piece of khadi cloth by two prominent Indians — Nath Puri and Ghulam Noon, who have purchased these in an auction, will also be presented to the President.

In 1990, the then President R Venkatraman had paid a State visit to the UK. Prior to him, V Radhakrishnan had visited the country in 1963.