Kate Middleton and Prince William kick off royal tour of Pakistan

Prince William has made a sweet quip about Princess Diana while meeting schoolchildren in Pakistan on day one of an epic tour. See the stunning pics.

Prince William and Kate Middleton have wowed crowds during a royal visit to Pakistan where Wills made a sweet quip about his late mother, Princess Diana.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrived in Pakistan on Monday for their week-long tour which is said to be one of the most complex royal trips in history.

The couple are working to a top-secret itinerary and have around 1000 security officers protecting them. Events they attend are only made public hours before and they have left all three children at home in London.

On Tuesday the couple visited a school in Islamabad and walked in the Himalayan foothills before meeting the Pakistani President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan.

At the school, girls told Prince William they were “big fans of your mother”. He smiled and said: “You were, really? Oh that’s very sweet of you. I was a big fan of my mother too.

“She came here three times. I was very small.”

Really sweet moment when William is told the girls were ‘big fans of your mother’.
He gave a broad, slightly wistful, smile and said: ‘ You were, really? Oh that’s very sweet of you. I was a big fan of my mother too.
’She came here three times. I was very small.’ pic.twitter.com/vTQ8imJguS

— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) October 15, 2019

Kate wore a traditional Kurta while Prince William wore a shirt and trousers. Picture: AP Photo/B.K. Bangash.

Kate meets local schoolchildren in the Margallah Hills Picture: Owen Humphreys-Pool/Getty Images

Wills and Kate walk through the Margallah Hills in Islamabad, Pakistan. Picture: Pool/Getty Images.

The trip will include poignant moments for Prince William, as his mother visited the country three times. The Duke of Cambridge knew Imran Khan, a former international cricketer turned Prime Minister, as a young boy.

Khan was a family friend of the royals growing up as he was married to Jemima Goldsmith, formerly Jemima Khan, at the time. She was a close friend of Princess Diana and Prince Harry and Prince William were often taken to play at their property in Richmond Park.

Princess Diana also travelled to Pakistan with Jemima and reportedly sought her advice when she was dating British-Pakistani heart surgeon Dr Hasnat Khan.

The Princess was reported to have been in a relationship with him for two years up until her death and had travelled to meet his family in Pakistan.

It’s the first royal visit to the country since Charles and Camilla went in 2006. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Kate changes for a visit to meet Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan at his official residence. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images.

Prince William and Kate will travel to Lahore and the border region with Afghanistan which is home to a number of fighters loyal to al-Qaeda.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have said that they want “the opportunity to meet as many Pakistanis as possible” and the engagements will involve schoolchildren, sports stars, cultural figures as well as politicians.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge smiles as she arrives at Kur Khan air base with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge ahead of their royal tour of Pakistan on October 14, 2019 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

The royals received a warm welcome. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

As they arrived, Kate and William were given flowers by local children in traditional dress when they stepped off the British Government’s RAF Voyager plane.

The duchess looked elegant in an aqua shalwar kameez — a traditional Pakistani outfit comprised of a long dress and trousers — by British designer Catherine Walker.

It was seen by many royal observers as a respectful nod to the traditions of the strict Muslim country.

They were greeted with bouquets of flowers. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

They will be taking part in a five-day tour of the country. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Kate’s combination was also highly reminiscent of the outfit Princess Diana wore when she visited Pakistan in 1996.

Diana at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. Picture: Tim Graham Picture Library/Getty Images

She wore a traditional blue outfit for her visit — just like Kate’s.

The couple’s visit is the first official one to be made by the royal family to the country since Prince Charles and Camilla visited back in 2006.

In their public announcement of the trip, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said their visit will span more than 1,000km of the country.

It will take in Islamabad, the city of Lahore, the mountainous countryside in the north and border regions to the west.

It’s been stated the Duke and Duchess’s program will “pay respect to the historical relationship between Britain and Pakistan”.

Their five-day-tour will “largely focus on showcasing Pakistan as it is today — a dynamic, aspirational and forward-looking nation.”

Their trip also involves visiting programs “which empower young people, and organisations that help ensure they have the best possible start in life.

However, the visit comes amid heightened tensions over the disputed region of Kashmir, and ongoing terror fears that means cricket teams refuse to play there.

The royal couple will be protected by a heightened security team. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Both India and Pakistan claim the territory over Kashmir, and the dispute received renewed attention in August when the Indian government revoked the region’s semi-autonomy from Delhi.

Skirmishes along the India-Pakistan border had already been increasing since February, when a car bombing by a group aiming to claim Kashmir for Pakistan killed 40 Indian security personnel.

CLIMATE CHANGE

They are expected to meet political and cultural leaders, see how communities in Pakistan are responding to the impacts of climate change, and deepen their understanding of unrest in the region.

A statement released by Kensington Palace earlier this month said: “This is the most complex tour undertaken by The Duke and Duchess to date, given the logistic and security considerations.

“Pakistan hosts one of Britain’s largest overseas networks, with the British High Commission in Islamabad being one of the UK’s largest diplomatic missions in the world.”

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall in Pakistan in 2006.

Princess Diana visited Pakistan three times during her life. Her visits saw her lay a wreath at Commonwealth war graves, tour Lahore’s iconic Badshahi Mosque, and visit a centre for disabled Afghan refugees.

This week’s tour comes as London seeks to strengthen its international ties ahead of Britain’s exit from the European Union, while Islamabad hopes to encourage tourism and reassure prospective visitors over security.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told reporters on Friday: “This is a goodwill visit, and they want to promote good relations between Pakistan, England and our new generation.”

Government spokesman Iftikhar Durrani said: “This visit is definitely going to help Pakistan build an image in the world, to see that this place is no more a security risk, this place is peaceful enough to host dignities like the royal couple.”

He added that the Pakistani government would use the visits to highlight its current stance on the dispute over Kashmir.

The visit has already provided a boost to Pakistan’s retail industry.

Last week, stock of a pair of $10 earrings by Pakistani designer Zeen sold out minutes after the Duchess was seen wearing them at an event in London.

Yusra Askari, a spokesman for industry body Fashion Pakistan, said: “The Duchess of Cambridge is a global fashion icon and trend setter.

“(It’s) time for Pakistani designers and the country’s fashion industry to brace for the ‘Kate Effect’.”

Parts of this article originally appeared in The Sun and are reproduced here with permission