It’s been another busy day for the couple.
Although the Royal Tour of Pakistan feels like it has only just begun, we’re already at the penultimate day of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s visit to the country.
Today, the pair was in Lahore with another busy schedule of engagements (and outfit changes).
First up, they visited the National Cricket Academy where they joined in a game of cricket and learned about the British DOSTI Programme which is held to help increase self-esteem, encourage social integration and aid child development. Some of the nation’s top cricket stars joined the royals on the field with some of the children in the programme. Kate and William were also gifted three cricket bats for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
The next stop was at the SOS Children’s Village, where Kate gave her first speech of the tour. After greeting the crowd in Urdu, she said, “Earlier this year I talked about the fact that it takes a village to raise a child. The village we have seen here today is the best representation of that ideal that I could have possibly imagined. Together as a village you are transforming children’s lives and providing them with strong foundations to support all their families. You have created a home, where children are given the love, protection and support that will enable them to have a fairer chance in life.”
For the morning’s activities, Kate wore a white shalwar kameez by Gul Ahmed Fashion, a Pakistani high street label, and a shawl by Maheen Khan. The Duchess then changed into a vibrant turquoise shalwar kameez by Maheen Khan for the latter half of the day.
Kate and William followed in Princess Diana’s footsteps by visiting the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre and meeting with patients and their families. The hospital was built by Imran Khan, the country’s current prime minister, in memory of his late mother in 1985. Princess Diana visited the centre in 1996 during her tour to the country.
The final stop on the day’s agenda was to the Badshahi Mosque, one of the largest mosques in the world. The Duke and Duchess’s visit comes almost 30 years since Diana set foot in the mosque herself. During the stop, Kate and William met with leaders within the faith community to talk about how they are working to promote harmony amongst different faiths in the region.
The tour has been a huge success for the couple, with the pair being praised for their thoughtfulness and genuine interest in the people of Pakistan. Kate had also been widely praised for her adoption of the local dress across most of her engagements in the country.