Tag: royal visit

  • Kate & William express ‘deep sadness’ over Tezgam tragedy

    Kate & William express ‘deep sadness’ over Tezgam tragedy

    The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who visited Pakistan late last month, have expressed their solidarity and sadness over the tragic Tezgam train incident which shook the country on Thursday.

    According to the Cambridge’s official website, “The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge sent a message of condolence to the President of Pakistan following the train fire near the town of Rahim Yar Khan in Pakistan.”

    “Having just returned from visiting Pakistan, we were horrified and deeply saddened to hear about the tragic fire on the Tezgam train near Rahim Yar Khan.”

    “Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people and families affected by this heartbreaking disaster,” the message added.

    Read more: Royal Visit – Kate, William bid goodbye to Pakistan

    Royal Editor at ITV News Chris Ship wrote that the couple was ‘horrified and deeply saddened’ with the news.

    Meanwhile, as per reports, the train, Tezgam, was on its way from Karachi to Rawalpindi when a gas cylinder carried by a passenger exploded, resulting in hundreds of casualties on Thursday morning. The fire destroyed three of the train’s carriages, including two economy class and one business class carriage.

  • Royal Visit – Kate, William bid goodbye to Pakistan

    Royal Visit – Kate, William bid goodbye to Pakistan

    Prince William and Kate Middleton, after a short tour of the Army Canine Centre in Rawalpindi, left for the United Kingdom Friday afternoon. The couple was on a five-day visit to Pakistan for the first time.

    They were seen off at the Nur Khan airbase by British High Commissioner Thomas Drew and other officials.

    The couple arrived in Islamabad from Lahore earlier in the day. Their trip to Lahore was initially planned for a day only but stormy weather, rain and lightning played havoc with their schedule and forced the couple and their entire crew to spend the night in PC Hotel Lahore.

    They departed for Islamabad the next morning. Kate looked fresh and lovely in a black and cream embroidered kurta by fashion powerhouse Elan.

    According to the royal reporters who were present on the flight with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, the jet flew into the storm and twice had to abort landing at the military base in Islamabad. They said that the unexpected turbulence shook the plane violently and forced everyone, including the aircrew, to strap themselves to their seats.

    Royal reporter Chris Ship added that there were many experienced pilots and aircrew (including Prince William) onboard but every one of them said they had never experienced turbulence like that before.

    Meanwhile, recounting her own experience, Duchess Kate said that though it was “a bumpy ride”, she had enjoyed the “adventure.”

    “I think it was quite an adventure really, it was pretty bumpy up there. But we were looked after so wonderfully by the RAF who did a great job liaising with everyone and got us home safely, so we are hugely grateful to them,” the Duchess said.

    Kate and William were reportedly scheduled to visit Khyber Pass and Landi Kotal (Afghan border) on the last day of their tour but due to their delayed return to Islamabad, their plan had to be cancelled. Instead, they visited the Army Canine Centre in Islamabad, where Britain provides support to a program that trains dogs to identify explosive devices.

    Pictures from the event showed the couple feeding and petting trainee bomb sniffer dogs. Kate looked regal in a black flora coat from Beulah London.

    Kate, who is dog-lover, appears to have had a blast with the canines.

    The couple was also treated to a dog show.

    For all the royal updates from Day 1, 2 and 3 click here, here and here.

  • Royal Visit Day 2 – Kate & William explore the mountainous North

    Royal Visit Day 2 – Kate & William explore the mountainous North

    After creating waves and winning hearts on the first day of their visit, the Duke and Duchess began the second day of their trip by heading straight to the beautiful mountainous North of the country.

    On the third day of their five-day visit, Kate and William are visiting the mighty Hindu Kush mountain range to witness the effects of climate change, which is one of the key areas of focus of their visit.

    They arrived in Chitral on a helicopter where they were gifted the traditional Chitrali cap and a book of photos commemorating the trip of Princess Diana, who visited the valley in 1991.

    Upon receiving the book, William remarked “Fantastic,” as he sifted through the pages of the book. The residents also gifted an embroidered coat to the Duke and a shawl to the Duchess.

    The Duchess wore a long taupe-coloured skirt and a darker coloured shirt under a leather vest for the visit. She opted for flat knee-high brown boots and accessoried with gold earrings and a beige pashmina, while William wore a teal shirt and beige chino trousers. People couldn’t help but compare her to Diana.

    The couple then visited the northern tip of the Chiatibo Glacier in Broghil National Park and were shown how it has retreated rapidly in recent years due to global warming. It was the first time the couple had seen a melting glacier.

    Standing between the snowy peaks of the mountain range, the duke said communities “vulnerable to change” needed “more education, more awareness and political action.”

    Following that, they travelled to Bombaret village in Kalash valley, where they interacted with the locals and spent time with children. They also enjoyed performances of traditional dances and music by the local people.

    The Duchess was all smiles as she took part in the festivities.

    A special cultural show, focused on the life in the Northern Areas, was also held for the royal couple.

    After completing their engagements, the couple flew back to Islamabad.

    For all the royal updates from Day 1, click here.

  • Prince William to honour Diana on Pakistan tour with a special visit

    Prince William to honour Diana on Pakistan tour with a special visit

    With the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, arriving in Islamabad as part of their royal tour of Pakistan, the former will be honouring his late mother and Princess of Wales, Diana, with a special visit.

    The five-day visit to the country — which has been described by Kensington Palace as their “most complex” to date — will see William and Kate attend a series of engagements focusing on security and the effects of climate change beside education for girls and young women.

    According to reports, during the trip that will see the couple visit Islamabad, Lahore, the mountains in the north and regions bordering Afghanistan in the west, the Queen’s grandson will also seek to honour his late mother Princess Diana’s humanitarian work.

    In 1996 and 1997, shortly before she died in a fatal car accident, the princess visited the country to see her friend Jemima Goldsmith and then-husband Imran Khan, who is now the prime minister (PM).

    During the latter trip to Lahore, Diana had helped Imran with raising funds for his Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital.

    William is now due to meet the premier, who he has known since childhood, as well as President Dr Arif Alvi. It is also thought the Duke and Duchess, who have left their three children at home, will see sites visited by the Queen during tours in 1961 and 1997.

    “The duke and duchess will be covering a lot of ground and are keen to put Pakistan back on the map as a country that is now much safer than people expect it to be,” reports quoted a royal source as saying.

    Precise details of the trip — the first royal tour to the country in 13 years after Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall — haven’t been released for security reasons.