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When it comes to jam-packed Royal tours, meticulous scheduling, planned months in advance, is everything.
But the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge ripped up the timetable for their high-profile Pakistan tour – to visit the home of a family they met by the side of the road.
While travelling through the remote Wakhan region, the royal couple encountered a family with two young children, living in a one-bedroom home encased in the mountain, with no running water and no electricity.
They told how their family are forced to stay within the tiny room for six-months due to the extreme icy weather conditions of the area.
Kate and William spotted the villagers as the Royal convoy was threading its way through the narrow strip of territory as they travelled back from visiting a glacier in the Hindu Kush mountain range.
Enthralled, the Duchess asked the car they were travelling in to stop so she and William could meet the villagers – and one family promptly invited them to visit their home, a simple hut.
The Duchess of Cambridge applauds while playing cricket Friday during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore in Pakistan
Warm welcome: Kate and William were invited into the home of a family they had just met by the roadside
The Duchess of Cambridge plays cricket Friday during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore in Pakistan
Duchess of Cambridge talks to two young girls during a visit to the SOS Village on Saturday
The Duchess of Cambridge joins in a drawing session during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore in Pakistan
Duke of Cambridge (pictured) joined in a game of cricket during the visit, where he played alongside a boy who seemed to be enjoying the game
The duchess smiled as she knelt down to talk to one girl during the visit. They met several groups of children during the day
The Duke knelt down and rolled up his sleeves to get involved in the painting session where he watched two of the children creating the work of art
Animated: The Duke of Cambridge raised a hand as he joined in a game of cricket during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore
The five-day tour, which ended on Friday, has been judged a triumph. Despite tight security, the couple were relaxed, joking with dignitaries, locals and the press corps
The Duchess of Cambridge plays cricket Friday during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore in Pakistan
The Duchess of Cambridge concentrated as she hit the ball during the trip on Friday. She even kept her heels on as she got involved in the sport
Despite raised eyebrows from aides and the Pakistani military, who have been helping to guard Kate and William during the tour, the pair entered the one-room home, accompanied only by a translator.
Inside, the family explained to the couple how they live without running water and electricity and are confined to their home for half of the year due to snow and freezing temperatures.
The Duchess – a keen photographer who has taken many official pictures of her children – then borrowed a Fujifilm camera from an aide to take pictures of the grandmother, mother and daughter.
The Duke and Duchess are snapped receiving a warm welcome from the family, and Kate is seen beaming at the villagers as William shakes hands with their young daughter.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge play cricket during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posed for a group photograph with the children during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore in Pakistan
The Duke of Cambridge meets young children while playing cricket Friday. The father-of-three put a hand around one of the boys as he smiled away
The duchess smiled as the sun shone down during their trip to the SOS Children’s Village which they had also visited the previous day
Sitting cross-legged on the bare floor, Kate helped children to paint a mural, saying: ‘I do lots of drawing at home with my children’
Kate gushed over the family, insisting they were ‘so hospitable’ and admitted that it was a ‘special moment’ to meet people who had ‘no idea’ of their royal status.
Describing the encounter, she said: ‘It was fantastic to meet these people living in such a remote place.
‘They were so hospitable, offering William and me a cup of tea.
‘It was a very special moment. They had no idea who we were, which gave us a chance to see a different side of Pakistan.
‘We really enjoyed the day in the mountains and meeting so many of the local people in the Kalash village, [it was] a real privilege to see a different way of life.’
The Duchess of Cambridge (left) shook hands with one of the girls who came up to greet her as another waited behind for her time to say hello
The Duke led the children in an impromptu game of cricket during the visit to SOS Children’s Village on Friday, near the end of their tour
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge talk to students during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore
Kate had the children in giggles by feigning pain after being inadvertently hit on the neck with a foam ball by William, before the prince joked: ‘She’s my wife, so I can just about get away with it’
On Friday morning, the couple again chose to change their schedule, in order to return to an orphanage at the SOS Children’s Village they had visited the previous day, because they felt they had only ‘touched the surface’
Kate smiles as she kneels down to talk to one of the children. SOS Children’s Village is a centre for local orphans in the heart of the city which was established in 1977
The Duke of Cambridge receives a bracelet from one of the girls during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village at Lahore in Pakistan
The Duke of Cambridge joins in a painting session during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village
The Duke of Cambridge met two young boys while playing cricket on Friday during the visit. They looked delighted as they took a break from the game of cricket
Left: The Duchess of Cambridge concentrated as she aimed for the ball during the impromptu cricket match. Right: Kate smiled during the visit, where she donned a black and white outfit
And William paid tribute to his wife’s camera skills, highlighting their visit earlier on Wednesday to the Chiatibo glacier in Broghil National Park, northern Pakistan, to see the effects of climate change.
‘She likes taking lots of pictures,’ he said. ‘She does a few portraits, but mostly landscapes. When we went to see the glacier, she took some great photos up there.’
During their trip, the pair wanted to highlight the effects of climate change after witnessing one of the glaciers melting for themselves.
They overlooked the northern tip of the Chiatibo Glacier in Broghil National Park, and were shown how it has retreated rapidly in recent years due to global warming.
Standing between the snowy peaks of the mountain range, the duke said communities ‘vulnerable to change’ needed ‘more education, more awareness and political action’.
‘The young are starting to get engaged in it,’ he said, adding that a ‘positive conversation’ around climate change was required.
Built over 10 acres, the village, which is attached to a school, began with 15 family homes, to which another four have since been added
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge smiled and greeted people as they were guided around the grounds of the village
During the visit when one youngster mentioned England, Kate (pictured left) replied: ‘You’ll have to come and see us’
Two girls dressed in pink and blue stood with the Duchess as they watched the cricket match. They smiled and chatted as the visit went on
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pose for a group picture during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village at Lahore in Pakistan
The five-day tour, which ended on Friday, has been judged a triumph, with the couple saying it was a ‘really special trip’
The Duchess of Cambridge plays cricket Friday during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village at Lahore in Pakistan. She even had a pink bat for the game
William stands with his hands on his hips as he watches the game of cricket, while the Duchess is seen in the background chatting to a group of women
The Duke rolled his sleeves up as he got on with the game, being bowled to by one of the girls living at the village
The couple watched on and smiled as the children played the cricket game during the visit in Lahore on Friday
Kate wore a stunning black and white outfit for the day out, teaming it with nude heels and ornate earrings
The Duke of Cambridge bowls while playing cricket on Friday during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village in Lahore, Pakistan
The Duchess of Cambridge plays cricket Friday during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village at Lahore in Pakistan
The Duke of Cambridge joins in a painting session during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village at Lahore in Pakistan
The five-day tour, which ended on Friday, has been judged a triumph. Despite tight security, the couple were relaxed, joking with dignitaries, locals and the press corps.
On Friday morning, the couple again chose to change their schedule, in order to return to an orphanage at the SOS Children’s Village they had visited the previous day, because they felt they had only ‘touched the surface’.
The charity works to provide quality alternative care for children who can no longer live with their parents and currently homes more than 150 orphans.
Sitting cross-legged on the bare floor, Kate helped children to paint a mural, saying: ‘I do lots of drawing at home with my children.’
And when one youngster mentioned England, Kate replied: ‘You’ll have to come and see us.’ The Duke then led the children in an impromptu game of cricket.
Kate had the children in giggles by feigning pain after being inadvertently hit on the neck with a foam ball by William, before the prince joked: ‘She’s my wife, so I can just about get away with it.’
The couple also had the chance to tell a story to children with finger puppets as they visited the project, a centre for local orphans in the heart of the city which was established in 1977.
Previously reflecting on the trip, she told CNN: ‘There’s so many vulnerable women here but they’ve really used their positivity and the support that the village here provides them.
‘They have done it to support and protect the next generation of children in their care and give them the best possible start to their future lives.’
Later the couple, both 37, were seen waving from the steps of their RAF Voyager plane as they prepared to return to Britain to rejoin Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and one-year-old Prince Louis.
Mid-air drama occurred yesterday evening as their plane attempted to land in the capital Islamabad.
The airbus was in the air for more than two hours in total, either circling or trying to land through the ‘serious storm’, with passengers describing the flight as a ‘rollercoaster’.
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