William and Kate don traditional headwear at remote Pakistan city
Prince William and Catherine donned traditional Pakistani headwear as they went to a remote mountain community where the late Princess Diana left her mark 28 years ago. SEE THE PHOTOS
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Prince William and wife Kate have travelled to Pakistan’s scenic northern mountains and glaciers, drawing attention to the challenges of climate change in the South Asian nation, where glaciers are melting at a fast pace.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge flew to the city of Chitral on Wednesday, where they were accorded a warm welcome.
Elders from the non-Muslim Kalash community presented them with traditional coats, hats and scarves.
Kate was given a regimental cap of the Chitral Scouts with peacock feathers like one Princess Diana wore when she visited Chitral in 1991.
William was also given an embroidered coat and Kate a warm shawl, as well as a book of photos about Diana’s visit 28 years ago.
The couple spent time with men, women and children from the Kalash community before enjoying performances of traditional dances and music by local residents.
The visit comes a day after Prince William made a speech at a cultural event in the capital of Islamabad, saying he will visit Chitral to see some of the impacts of climate change — including a melting glacier — as well as meet with local communities faced with the impact of a damaged environment.
Pakistan’s northern areas have witnessed flash floods in recent years, causing damage to property and casualties.
Britain’s Press Association reported that William and Kate sat on a wall in a village square in the Kalash Valley, surrounded by local children, as they watched a traditional dance.
The couple also visited the village of Bumburet in the Chitral region, which was destroyed by flooding in 2015 and met with survivors of the disaster.
The royal pair watched an emergency response drill in which members of the community carried would-be casualties over a river.
WILLIAM, KATE’S COLOURFUL ARRIVAL
Yesterday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in style on a colourful, decorated rickshaw for a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner for Pakistan.
The royal couple travelled to the event, hosted by Thomas Drew, the British Commissioner for Pakistan, which is set to highlight the relationship between the UK and the Commonwealth country, reports The Sun.
Kate wore a glittering emerald dress by Jenny Packham, while William wore a similar-coloured sherwani by Karachi-based designer Naushemian.
At the event the couple had the opportunity to meet with well-known individuals from business, the creative arts, music and film industry, and members of Government.
William made a speech at the event, saying the UK would continue to support the Commonwealth country as a “key partner and friend” during a visit which he hoped would strengthen ties between the two nations.
He said: “We share unique bonds and so it will always be in our best interests for Pakistan to succeed.
“You can always rely on the UK to keep playing an important role as a key partner and friend.”
A busy itinerary on their first full day in the capital Islamabad saw the royal couple meet Prime Minister Imran Khan — whom William first met aged 11 because the ex-cricketer was his mother’s friend — and visit two education programs, including a government-run school for students aged between four and 18.
Earlier, William poignantly recalled his love for his mother after meeting with school kids.
Sitting with Kate in a classroom, William was told by a schoolgirl that she was a big fan of Princess Diana — to which he touchingly replied “I was a big fan of my mother, too”.
“She came here three times. I was very small. This is my first time and it is very nice to be here and meet you all.”
Diana visited a cancer hospital in Lahore as a guest of Mr Khan and his then wife, Jemima Goldsmith, in May 1997 — just three months before the People’s Princess died aged just 36 year-old after a high-speed car crash in Paris.
William and Kate, in a royal blue shalwar kameez by local designer Maheen Khan, are keen to champion the importance of quality education, and highlight how girls benefit from pursuing higher education and professional careers.
William was asked what he had wanted to do when he was younger after Aima, 14, told him that she wanted to be a brain surgeon.
He replied: “Actually I changed a lot as I got older but I always wanted to learn to fly.
“I was flying for a while actually. I love flying, I feel very free [and] I like learning a skill, I enjoy that. I can relate the science of what you do.”
The Government-run school in central Islamabad, which educates students between the ages of 4 and 18, was established in 1978.
It currently benefits from the “Teach for Pakistan” program, a fast-track teacher training program, which is focused on improving the quality of teaching in schools which serve families from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Inside the school the couple first sat with a group of kindergarten children, aged around four, as they learned about numbers and counting under a sign which read: Work Hard, Be Smart.
“Well done, very good,” said William, who introduced himself by shaking each of their hands, as they chatted.
They also met a class of youngsters aged 10 to 12 who were told by their teacher: “We have some guests in our class, can we welcome them?”
The children chorused: “Hello, welcome, nice to meet you.”
In the science room, William and Kate chatted at length with an impressive group of 14-year-olds.
Kate asked: “This is the science class, yes? Some of the girls were saying that science is their favourite subject at school.”
William added: “Do you remember the periodic table? I know that a long time ago, but Catherine you remember it well, don’t you?”
Kate asked: “Do you get to do a lot of experiments? Your English is all so good.”
Her husband added: “We are trying to learn Urdu as we go on, we only know a few words now, but we hope to get better.”
Asked by the chattering group of girls what they thought of Pakistan so far, Kate beamed and replied: “It’s fantastic, this is only day one for us.
“We are going to the north so we will be interested to explore see the difference.”
“Are you enjoying it?” they asked William.
William replied: “Very much so. This is day one but we have been wanting to come for a very long time so it’s nice to finally be here.
“My mother was here a long time ago, so it’s very nice, my grandmother was here, my father’s been here … a lot of my family members have been here.”
Kate added: “This part of the visit is really important to us, the issue of girls and education.”
The Prince asked: “How easy is it for girls to get access to education in Pakistan? Is it easy for girls to be educated in Pakistan.”
Afterwards Aima said: “It was very interesting it was a real honour. We are big fans of the king and queen.
“We learnt all about his mother, Diana, the princess.
“It was such a pleasure to meet him and talk about school. She is so very beautiful. Her kurta was beautiful, it is our country’s dress, she was looking very beautiful and we were very touched that she wore it.”
Before they left the couple, who appeared delighted at the way the visit had gone, posed for a group picture with some of the students.
After the school visit, the couple lunched with Prime Minister Imran Khan at his official residence.
William recalled how everyone laughed at a gathering in Richmond-upon-Thames in 1996 when the former Pakistan, Sussex, and Worcestershire cricketer announced his political ambition to the then teenage Prince William and his mother Princess Diana.
Diana had taken him to see Mr Khan and his then wife, Jemima Goldsmith, at the Goldsmith family home in Richmond.
Mr Khan, who was finally elected Pakistani Prime Minister in July 2018, suggested it had been as hard a slog as his earlier career as a Test cricketer.
He said: “When I went with my mother to see a Test match my cousin was playing and he scored a century and I told my mother I wanted to be a Test cricketer.
“I never realised how difficult it was to eventually become one. Similarly, when I told you that I wanted to succeed I didn’t realise it would take me 22 years.”
His wife Kate, who was wearing white trousers by the Pakistani designer Maheen Khan, an emerald green tunic by Catherine Walker and a navy patterned scarf by Satrangi, another local designer, and earrings by the country’s firm Zeen, interjected: “You stuck with it.”
The Prime Minister was recalling his friendship with Diana when journalists were allowed into his chamber for a few seconds to see the royal couple meeting him today at his official residence in Islamabad.
They spoke about one of the places that the royal couple will visit tomorrow — the destination is currently under wraps — and Mr Khan said he thought Diana might have been there before.
Mr Khan, who was married to Diana’s friend Jemima Goldsmith between 1995 and 2004, uses the residence — known simply as The Prime Minister’s House — for official entertaining, but he actually lives in his private house on the outskirts of the capital.
This story was originally published in The Sun and is reprinted with permission.
Originally published as William and Kate don traditional headwear at remote Pakistan city