–Royal couple visits Badshahi Mosque, SOS Village, Shaukat Khanum and National Cricket Academy
LAHORE: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Catherine Middleton spent a busy Thursday in Lahore, attending multiple events in the city.
The couple — who are the first royals to officially visit Pakistan since Prince Charles and his wife Camilla visited the region in 2006 — were received by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Governor Chaudhry Sarwar upon arrival at the Lahore airport on Thursday morning.
The guests were also presented souvenirs by Buzdar and Sarwar.
After their meeting with the Punjab chief minister and governor, the royal couple travelled to SOS Children Village where they meet orphaned children. They spent time with the children, read them storybooks and used finger puppets to demonstrate the stories.
A video of the duchess wishing children a happy birthday in Urdu also went viral.
Next, the couple visited the National Cricket Academy, where they were welcomed by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani, PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan, and other officials. Azhar Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sana Mir, Urooj Mumtaz, Ayesha Zafar and Waqar Younis were among the cricketers present on the occasion and assisted the couple in trying their hand at batting.
VISIT TO BADSHAHI MOSQUE:
William and Kate also visited the Mughal-era Badshahi Mosque where Kate was seen in yet another blue outfit. The royals toured the mosque and courtyard, before joining a discussion with religious leaders on promoting interfaith harmony.
William and Kate take their places for an interfaith meeting inside the mosque #RoyalsVisitPakistan #Lahore pic.twitter.com/XAGxnsDPXr
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) October 17, 2019
The couple then undertook an “emotional” visit to Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, which was visited by William’s late mother Lady Diana in 1996 to help raise awareness and funds for the hospital.
It may be mentioned here that Diana, on a private visit, was photographed cradling a young patient receiving cancer treatment at the time, which she later cited as one of her “most cherished images”.
After a busy day, the couple departed for Islamabad at 7 pm in the evening; however, the plane had to return to Lahore due to unfavourable weather conditions. The couple will fly to Islamabad as soon as the weather will become favourable.
The duo is expected to depart for their home country on October 18.
William and Kate arrived in Islamabad on Monday night. They were received by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his wife Mehriene Qureshi at the Nur Khan Airbase in Rawalpindi where British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew was also present.
On Tuesday, during the meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan, 37-year-old William reminded the premier that the late Diana had taken him to meet Khan and his then-wife Jemima Khan (née Goldsmith) in London, back in 1996.
He further shed light on the conversation they had shared back then with Khan expressing his ambition of holding the prime minister’s office in Pakistan — a thought that had also ignited ample laughter from all around back then, William added.
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge Prince William and Kate Middleton arrived in Chitral on the third day of their five-day trip for visiting the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountain range.
The visit was part of their agenda to “explore Pakistan, meet the people of the country and witness the effects of climate change”.
Upon arrival, the royal couple was gifted traditional hats and a book of photos commemorating the first trip of late Princess Diana to Pakistan in 1991.
“Fantastic,” the prince had remarked as he sifted through the pages of the book. The residents also gifted an embroidered coat to William and a shawl to Middleton.
In Kalash valley, the royal couple met locals and spent time with children. They also enjoyed performances of traditional dances and music by the local people. “They were very happy, meeting and shaking hands with everyone,” a district administration official said of the royal couple.
The couple also met with environmental experts to discuss the melting before going on to spend their afternoon with the Kalash tribe.
