Tag: Royal Visit Pakistan

  • 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 3 – Kate & William return to Lahore

    Royal Visit Day 3 – Kate & William return to Lahore

    After a jam-packed schedule, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wrapped up their visit to Lahore and were expected to head back to Islamabad but due to bad weather in the capital, their plane had to turn back.

    According to details, Kate and William departed for Islamabad but had to return due to bad weather. Reports said that the royal couple will leave for the federal capital in the night if weather turns normal otherwise they will stay at a local hotel in Lahore.

    Kate and William spent the day in Lahore where they had a jam-packed schedule. The couple traced Lady Diana’s footsteps on most of their visit.

    Their last engagement of the day was a visit to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital, where they interacted with patients and doctors. The doctor who had given Diana a tour of the hospital gave the Duke and Duchess a tour as well.

    Kate wears a toy tiara as she attends a tea party in the children’s ward

    Late afternoon, they visited Badshahi Masjid where they toured the historic mosque, engaged in an interfaith discussion and listened to a recitation of the Holy Quran.

    Kate wore a sea-green outfit by Maheen Khan for the visit and covered her head as she entered the mosque. The couple also took off their shoes.

    After exploring the capital and the mountainous North, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge landed in the heart of Pakistan – Lahore earlier on Thursday.

    Princess Kate looked elegant in an ivory outfit by Gul Ahmed and a shawl by Maheen Khan.

    The couple was received by Governor Punjab Chaudhry Sarwar and Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar.

    At the airport lounge, they held a brief meeting with Governor Sarwar and CM Punjab who presented them souvenirs. While Sarwar gave the couple a painting, CM Buzdar gifted Kate a shawl.

    After that, they visited the SOS Village on Ferozepur Road where they interacted with orphans and even celebrated a birthday party.

    Kate also gave her first speech of the tour there. She finished her speech by wishing the children in Urdu, and it is the most adorable thing you’ll see today.

    They then went to National Cricket Academy where they played cricket with professional cricketer including Hassan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Sana Mir and Azhar Ali.

    Kate changed from her heels into a pair of sneakers for the game while William also wore a pair of blue joggers.

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

  • Celebrities rub shoulders with the royal couple at grand reception

    Celebrities rub shoulders with the royal couple at grand reception

    The grand Royal reception hosted for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad by the British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew and his wife saw the who’s who in Pakistan in attendance. From politicians to celebrities to sportsmen to entrepreneurs – it was a star-studded event and one we wish we also had a chance to attend. But since that didn’t happen, we were glued to our phones for all the live updates from the event.

    While a lot of celebrities were in attendance at the event, not everyone got a chance to snap a picture with the royal couple.

    King of Couture, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin was among the few lucky ones who were introduced to William and Kate. He not only got a picture but also got a chance to interact with them. We hear that Kate will be donning an outfit by the designer on the visit.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/B3pj4EdBvUq/

    Maheen Khan, whose creation the Duchess wore for her first royal engagement also interacted with the couple.

    Mehwish Hayat said that it was a “real pleasure” to meet the royal visitors.

    Mahira Khan and Masarrat Misbah also got a moment with the Prince.

    As did Shehzad Roy.

    Others who attended the event included Atif Aslam, Hareem Farooq, Momina Mustehsan, Yousaf Sallahuddin, Ahad Raza Mir, Sajal Aly, Wasim and Shaniera Akram and Shaan Shahid.

    Atif looked dapper in a sherwani by Mohsin Naveed Ranjha while Mahira looked lovely in Misha Lakhani.

    While the celebrities have not yet shared high-quality pictures yet, UK-based DJ Noreen Khan who was the red carpet host, shared pictures with the celebrities.