Ratan Tata once declined to accept lifetime achievement award from UK’s King Charles due to…

Billionaire Ratan Tata is widely admired for his philanthropic work, especially his dedication to the welfare of animals. However, many may not know about an incident when Tata turned down a prestigious honor from the UK Royal Family. In 2018, King Charles III, then known as Prince Charles, had organized an event to honor Ratan Tata with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his exceptional philanthropic contributions. The award ceremony, hosted by the British Asian Trust, was set to take place at Buckingham Palace on February 6, 2018.

Initially, Tata had agreed to attend the event in person, but as the date drew closer, he made the heartfelt decision to cancel his plans. The reason? His dog had fallen seriously ill, and Tata chose to stay back to care for his furry companion rather than attend the royal ceremony. This touching story, shared by businessman Suhel Seth, has since resurfaced on social media.

Recalling the incident, Suhel Seth shared in a video how he arrived in London on February 2nd or 3rd, 2018, for an event honoring Ratan Tata. To his surprise, he was met with 11 missed calls from Tata himself. When Seth returned the call, Ratan Tata explained the situation, saying, “Tango and Tito, his dogs, one of them had fallen terribly ill. I can’t leave him and come.”

Despite Seth’s efforts to persuade Tata to attend the ceremony, given that it was with UK Royal Prince Charles, Tata remained resolute, choosing to stay with his ailing dog and canceling his trip to London. Seth further revealed that when Prince Charles learned of this, he expressed admiration for Tata’s commitment to his values and his priorities. Prince Charles reportedly remarked, “That’s a man. That’s the man Ratan is. That’s why the house of Tata is what it is. That’s why it’s on stable course,” highlighting the deep respect he had for Tata’s decision.