Another week, another royal tour.
On the heels of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's trip to southern Africa, Kate Middleton and Prince William traveled from London to Islamabad yesterday, October 14, to begin their five-day tour of Pakistan. "This is the most complex tour undertaken by [the duke and duchess] to date, given the logistical and security considerations," a statement released ahead of the tour by Kensington Palace said. "Pakistan hosts one of Britain’s largest overseas networks, with the British High Commission in Islamabad being one of the United Kingdom's largest diplomatic missions in the world."
While the couple's three children are not with them on this trip, Hello! reports that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge dropped Prince George and Princess Charlotte at school before their flight to Pakistan.
Here are all the best moments from the royal tour.
The Cambridges had a red-carpet arrival in Pakistan, complete with flowers and gifts from local children. Middleton wore a turquoise ombré take on the shalwar kameez, the traditional dress of the country that includes a tunic top over trousers.
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First up, the royals visited a school where the children are part of a fast-track teacher-training program called Teach for Pakistan, which focuses on young girls and women pursuing jobs in education, before meeting with kids from three schools in the Margalla Hills.
"On the first full day of their visit to Pakistan, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s first engagements in Islamabad championed the importance of quality education, and highlighted how girls benefit from pursuing higher education and professional careers," Kensington Royal, the couple's official Instagram, said in a caption.
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According to People, while chatting with students, a 14-year-old named Aima told William she was a fan of his late mother, Princess Diana. “You were, really? Oh, that’s very sweet of you. I was a big fan of my mother too," he replied.
Prince William and Kate Middleton then met with former cricket star and current Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was a friend of Princess Diana's.
In the evening, the Cambridges arrived by tuk-tuk to a reception at the Pakistan National Monument. The duchess wore a sparkling Jenny Packham gown while William dressed in a turquoise sherwani.
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The royals traveled to Chitral in the Hindu Kush, near the Afghan border, where they received gifts like a traditional Chitrali hat, similar to one worn by Princess Diana in 1991, a book of photos from her visit, a shawl, an embroidered coat, and a scarf.
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They then visited the Chiatibo glacier to hear about the effects of climate change in the region.
Next up, a stop in a village in the region, where the couple was presented with more local gifts.
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The duke and duchess took part in playing cricket in Lahore, Pakistan. Sporty Kate is one of our favorite Kates—and William's form looked great too.
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They were given cricket bats as presents for their children: George, Charlotte, and Louis.
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Middleton and William also got to join in on a birthday party at the SOS Children's Village, which looks like loads of fun. “William and I really wanted to come and see an SOS Children’s Village like this,” Middleton said in an interview with CNN. “There’s so many vulnerable women here but they’ve really used their positivity and the support that the Village here provides them…to support and protect the next generation of children in their care and give them the best possible start to their future lives.”
They then changed clothes—with Middleton swapping out her white shalwar kameez for a beautiful turquoise one and a headwrap—to visit the ancient Badshahi Mosque.
And yes, the royals removed their shoes in a sign of respect. If you look closely you can see that the duchess is wearing hose, so no totally bare feet here.
The setting was incredibly beautiful and majestic.
The couple then traveled to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital in Lahore, which Princess Diana visited in 1996 and 1997. They spent time in the children's ward at the state-of-the-art facility and met with kids and families undergoing treatments. According to the Daily Mail, they got to know a five-year-old named Muhammad Samir, who has Hodgkin lymphoma and shared his desire to be a soldier. The publication reports that the duke "played with his fishing game as the pair tried to hook toy fish."
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They also had a tea party with a seven-year-old patient named Wafia—and it was incredibly adorable with Middleton in a tiara and William blowing on his "tea" to cool it down.
After all of the activity in Lahore, the royal couple faced a scary moment on their way back to Islamabad. During their flight, their plane got stuck in a serious electrical storm and had two aborted landings. Some footage captured images of the plane in the middle of all the lightning.
According to a royal correspondent, Prince William handled the situation like a pro and kept everyone calm by cracking a few jokes. "Prince William came back to check everyone was okay and joked that the extreme turbulence...was due to him flying the [plane] (he’s an experienced pilot). He also joked we could all go out for a night out in Lahore together!"
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"I think it was quite an adventure really, it was pretty bumpy up there," Middleton said. "We were looked after so wonderfully by the RAF [Royal Air Force] who did a great job liaising with everyone and got us home safely."
After unexpectedly spending the night in Lahore to wait out the storm, the Cambridges had to cancel one engagement in the Khyber Pass and instead flew back to Islamabad. There they visited the Army Canine Centre where dogs are trained for military use. Also, they got to play with puppies—hopefully their own dog, Lupo, won't be too jealous.
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As you can see in the photos, being royal does not make you immune to power of puppies.
This post will be updated throughout the royal tour.
