Royal tour: Prince William, Kate Middleton visit iconic Badshahi Mosque in Lahore

Prince William, Kate Middleton earlier meet children at SOS Village, played cricket at National Cricket Academy

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LAHORE: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will spend a busy day in Pakistan’s cultural capital, Lahore on Thursday, attending multiple events in the city.

Upon their arrival in Lahore, Prince William and Kate Middleton met with Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, before proceeding to a charity function.

For her visit to Lahore, Kate donned a white Gul Ahmed shalwar kameez and a shawl by Maheem Khan. 

She accessorised her ensemble with a clutch from Mulberry, shoes by Gianvito Rossi and earrings by Asprey.

Prince William and Kate Middleton with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar. Photo: Team Governor Punjab Twitter 
Prince William and Kate Middleton with Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar. Photo: Twitter

Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar during the meeting said Pakistan and UK were moving ahead together in journey of progress and prosperity.

He added the visit will further strengthen bilateral ties between Pakistan and United Kingdom.

After their formal meeting with the Punjab chief minister and governor, the royal couple travelled to SOS Children Village where they meet orphaned children. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at SOS Village. Photo: Twitter

Here is another tweet from the Kensington Palace on the royal couple's visit to the SOS village.

The Duke and Duchess next 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.

William and Kate met met several international cricketers including Azhar Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sana Mir, Urooj Mumtaz, Ayesha Zafar and Waqar Younis. 

Read also: Prince William and Kate socialise in Kalash Valley, try on feathered caps, luxurious shawls

Photo: Twitter
Photo: Twitter

Prince William and Kate next arrived at Lahore’s iconic Mughal-era Badshahi Mosque, where they attended an event on Religious Tolerance.

For the mosque visit, Kate dressed in another Maheen Khan ensemble.  

The last engagement for the royals in the city is a visit to Shaukat Khanum Hospital built by Prime Minister Imran Khan in memory of his late mother who died from cancer in 1985.

In 1996, the late Princess Diana visited the hospital accompanied by PM Imran and his former wife, Jemima Goldsmith, a close friend of the royal.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, left, founded the hospital in memory of his mother Shaukat Khanum, who died form cancer in 1985. He is pictured outside its imposing buildings with then-wife Jemima Goldsmith, and Princess Diana in May 1997. Photo: Daily Mail/Tim Rooke/REX
Diana said she valued the photographs of her with the children at the Pakistani hospital as fondly as any. Here she talks to a young patient during her two-day Lahore visit in February 1996. Photo: Daily Mail

On Wednesday, the royal couple visited a melting glacier in the Hindu Kush mountain range, witnessing first hand the impact of climate change their trip is seeking to highlight.

They flew by helicopter to the northern tip of the Chiatibo glacier, where a climate change expert explained how it was retreating.

Read also: Prince William speech starting with salam and shukriya wins Pakistani hearts

Earlier, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had stopped at an airport in Chitral and been given a traditional feathered mountain hat, similar to one gifted to William’s mother Princess Diana during her visit to the area in 1991. They were also given an album of photos of Diana during her visit.

Kate and William later observed damage and emergency response drills in a village in Chitral that had been hit by floods due to glaciers melting.

They also vistaed a settlement of the Kalash people, a small indigenous group living in the Chitral region where they met with young people and wore colourful local scarves and headwear while being treated to song and dance.

With additional information from Reuters


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