Britain’s Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge left Pakistan on Friday afternoon after concluding their inaugural visit, which captured the nation’s attention for five days but will be remembered for years to come.
The royal couple arrived in the capital of Islamabad on Monday night to a red-carpet welcome and an eager media scrum.
Kate Middleton’s decision to don an elegant aqua shalwar kameez, Pakistan’s national dress of a tunic with trousers, was received positively by many in the nation.
On Tuesday, the couple’s first full day in Pakistan, Prince William and Kate signalled their support for education by making a girls’ school the first stop on their maiden tour of the country.
The couple both wore blue to the Model College for Girls, with Kate draping a dupatta, or long scarf, over the shoulder of her royal-blue shalwar kameez.
The Duke opted for a Western outfit, looking relaxed in a light button-down shirt with no tie.
They dropped in on a mathematics class, where televised images showed them sitting with some of the children at the government-run school, which is attended by an estimated 1,000 students from grades one to 12.
An education official said the royals helped some pupils with solving maths problems.
The royals then toured the nearby Margalla Hills National Park, where authorities deployed more than 1,000 security personnel, before meeting President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan at their official residences.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were greeted with handshakes by a smiling Khan, who first met William in Britain when the prince was a young boy.
“While welcoming the royal couple, Prime Minister Imran Khan recalled the love and affection among the people of Pakistan for Princess Diana, because of her compassion as well as commitment to support charitable causes,” Khan’s office said in a statement.
Pakistani media simultaneously aired archive images of Diana with Khan – then a World Cup-winning cricketer who had just launched his political career – during her own visits to Pakistan more than 20 years ago.
Kate wore a traditional Pakistani dress in vibrant green and white, with a dark green dupatta draped over her shoulder. The Duke wore a dark suit and tie.
In a speech at the Pakistan Monument on Tuesday night, Prince William spoke of the “unique bonds” shared between Britain and Pakistan.
“The UK and Pakistan share unique bonds and so it will always be in our best interests for you to succeed,” said William at the event hosted by the British High Commission.
He said that 1.5 million people living in Britain had Pakistani heritage, and the UK was one of Pakistan’s top investors. “You can rely on us to keep playing an important role as a key partner and your friend.”
While Kate dazzled with a floor-length Jenny Packham gown, some thought Prince William’s dapper teal sherwani suit – a long dress coat worn over trousers – was the true scene-stealer of the night.
On Wednesday, the royal couple flew to the mountainous town of Chitral in the north to see melting glaciers and meet communities facing the challenges of climate change.
In a flood-hit zone, the royals met Diana, a resident of Chitral who was named after Princess Diana.
“I was born on the day your mother paid a visit to this region 28 years ago in 1991,” Diana told Prince William through a translator. “I have a son whom I named after you,” she added.
“As I grew up, I read about the Princess of Wales and her charity work,” Diana told the Duke and Duchess. “The more I read about her, the more I was impressed. This is why I joined an emergency response team of volunteers which is funded by UK aid.”
Among the communities badly hit by the effects of climate change was the tiny Kalash community, a tribe that lives in three valleys and is Pakistan’s smallest religious minority.
Kalash men and women mingle freely, and women can choose their husbands but also move on to new loves, setting them apart from much of patriarchal Pakistan.
While most of the trip went smoothly, the royals met with a spot of drama on Thursday night, when a storm forced their Royal Air Force pilot to abort two landings in Islamabad.
The plane instead returned to the eastern city of Lahore, where the couple and their entourage of about 100 people spent the night.
Earlier that day, Prince William and his wife made an emotional visit to a cancer hospital that his mother, Princess Diana, visited a year before her death.
The Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre was started in the early 1990s by Imran Khan.
The royal couple then showed off their batting skills in a game with children and members of Pakistan’s cricket team at the National Cricket Academy.
Later, at a children’s home in Lahore and in her first public remarks of the tour, the Duchess said the couple were “moved and touched” by their experiences in the country.
Being here in Pakistan this week, William and I have seen on several occasions how family is at the heart of your culture,” she said.
Kate then wished three of the children happy birthday in Urdu, one of Pakistan’s official languages.
Just before departing for Britain on Friday, Prince William said the trip was an unforgettable one.
“I’m leaving Pakistan taking back wonderful memories,” he said, before boarding the Royal Air Force Voyager at Nur Khan Airbase.
Aamir Ghauri, an editor, called the visit a “win-win” for bilateral relations.
“The visit could help Britain’s post-Brexit relations with Pakistan ... it has done wonders for the public perception of the country. The royal couple were seen to relive Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth’s tradition. It was a win-win for all involved,” he said.
Pakistan’s superstar actress Mehwish Hayat was star-struck after meeting the royals.
“It was a wonderful experience and a pleasure to meet the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Prince William is a real-life Prince Charming,” Mehwish said. “This visit helps show the world the real sides of Pakistan.”
Additional reporting by Reuters
