Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wear traditional Pakistani headwear

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were welcomed by hundreds of excited well-wishers today as they visited a remote settlement of Pakistan and learned about the culture of the Kalash people on their royal tour today. 

Prince William and Kate toured Bumburet in the Chitral region of the Hindu Kush mountains as they also watched emergency response drills in the village, which saw extensive damage from flooding four years ago.

During their visit, they spoke with Diana – a young woman from the local area who was named after William’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales – whose grandmother travelled to Chitral to meet the princess on her visit in 1991. 

‘Princess Diana was visiting at around the time she was born, which is why she got named Diana,’ a translator said. ‘And now her son is now William. Her grandmother went to meet Princess Diana in Chitral, her mum was unable to travel because she was expecting her.’ 

The couple saw demonstrations of how local people carry casualties over a river, and met survivors of mass flooding caused by glacial melting as their five-day tour continued amid hopes it will highlight global warming. 

William and Kate travelled to Bumburet to meet with the locals whose community was devastated during flooding in 2015. Buildings and farmland in the valley were destroyed by boulders tumbling down with floodwater.

Earlier, Kate and William met the family who had named their children after Diana – and her eldest son William.

Liba Qamar 14, lives in Bumburet and told how her mother Iran had named her daughter Diana after the princess’s visit to the area in 1991.

And when young Diana, now 28, had a boy last year, there was only one name for him: William.

Kate took her own camera with her to the village and took some picture of Liba and her family in their brightly coloured traditional clothing in the village’s backstreets.

Schoolgirl Liba said: ‘It’s my dream to meet the royal family. I have known about Miss Diana and William as my mother Iran gave my older sister the name Diana in 1991 after her visit.

‘Then my sister had a son and she called him William and he is one. So we just met him and Kate now and Kate took some pictures of us. We were talking and I told them I was a big fan of Diana.

‘I told them it was amazing they are here and everyone is excited and happy. I told them I watched the wedding and I cried and I just wanted to meet Mr Prince William and Miss Princess Kate. It was a miracle and I’m so happy.’

After watching a group dance in the village square of Bumburet, the Duchess introduced her husband to the dancers.

Wearing a colourful beaded headband she’d been given as a gift by the community, she told the women: ‘This is my husband William, Prince William. I’m sorry he didn’t dance too!’

The Duke took the teasing well and told the women – who wore traditional headdresses and bright clothing – that he loved their moves.

The whole village had turned out to meet the couple, who were clapped and cheered as they walked up through the narrow, dirty streets and into the open square. 

William was given a traditional Chitrali hat which he immediately put on and Kate an orange beaded headress with a pink feather that she also wore, checking with her host Shahira Bibi to ensure she had it on correctly.

Special seats had been made of carpet for the royals, where they sat chatting to their local hosts Shahira, Yasir Ali and many school kids.

After the traditional Kalash dancing, sisters Amrina Aneka 17, and Sania Aneka, 13, who have their own YouTube channel, sung a local melody.

Chatting to the dancers through her Kalash interpreter Shahira, Kate tried some of the local lingo.

‘How do you say ‘thank you’?’ She asked.

Repeating it a couple of times, she said: ‘Thank you so much for these amazing gifts. What’s it like living here? Were you affected by the floods and what did you do to recover?’

Earlier Kate and William had seen the devastation wrought on the village by floodwaters caused by global warming. In 2015 the whole village of Bumburet was swept away although miraculously no one was killed.

But the boulders and flood waters damaged many homes, destroyed crops and killed many animals which the villagers rely on for their existence. 

Local Arab Gul, 28, an archaeologist, said: ‘I left in 2015 just before the flood and when I came back from university in Islamabad I couldn’t believe it was the same village. Everything had disappeared: lands, houses, everything was washed away.

‘We were very upset and very crying (sic). Now we worry it could happen again in May or June time. If it rains we feel we have to move.’

Shahi Gul, 40, a mother of six said: ‘My village is beautiful. During the flood in 2015, beautiful greenery, lands, everything was washed away. That time we got very upset. All the food, everything, was washed away, our whole culture.

‘But we had no money to give good education to our children. Still now we are not financially strong.’

Pacha Bibi, 31, a mother of four, added: ‘During the floor everything washed away in our Kalash community. We had no meals to eat, no electricity. We were faced with many difficulties

‘We were moved to safe areas but we were still afraid again that it would happen. I feel myself that still now we are not safe in this area.’

Earlier on their visit to the Himalayan region today, Kate had echoed Princess Diana when she put on the same traditional Chitrali hat worn by William’s late mother during her own visit to Pakistan nearly three decades ago.   

The young woman called part of an emergency response team of volunteers – now funded by UK aid – which prevented loss of life of 2015.

The translator said the group the duke and duchess met regarded the visit by the royals as ‘a source of pride’. 

The translator said: ‘They generally spoke about where these guys were in 2015 floods, what their reactions were, what they felt, conversations around that.

‘They’re glad that people are learning more about this. It’s a source of pride. They can’t forget this day.’

During the discussion, the duke asked the group – through the translator – about their experiences of the 2015 flood. ‘Was it quite scary? What kind of time of day did it happen?’ William said. ‘Was it like a big roar in the valley?’

The couple also watched a demonstration by a local search and rescue team on how they transport casualties across a river. One of the local people had been wrapped up in bandages for the demonstration.

Afterwards, the duke thanked the team for their efforts and made a joke towards the ‘injured’ team member. The duke said: ‘Good job guys – he pulled the short straw did he? Hope you get better soon!’

Isolated communities in the area have suffered from flash flooding in recent years as a result of the glaciers melting, and the couple heard how the community are adapting their way of life in response to climate events. 

Earlier, Kate had echoed Princess Diana when she put on the same traditional Chitrali hat worn by Prince William’s late mother during her own visit to Pakistan in 1991. 

William and Kate donned the Pakistani outfits after they stepped out from a helicopter among the Hindu Kush mountains in the Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in the Himalayan foothills during their royal tour.

The couple are following in Diana’s footsteps by visiting the same region she did on her memorable trip to the country in 1991, and were presented with a book commemorating her time in the area 28 years ago.  

Men normally wear the Chitrali hats but Kate was also given one because she is a VIP. The Duchess was also given a shawl while William was handed an embroidered cloak to wear, both of which were embroidered locally. 

Kate wore a long taupe-coloured skirt and a darker coloured shirt under a leather vest for the visit, along with flat knee-high brown boots suitable for the rocky terrain, accessorised with gold earrings and a beige pashmina. 

The Duke wore a pale teal shirt and beige chino trousers, and as he was presented with his own matching coat and hat, Kate remarked: ‘It’s amazing – all that embroidery.’

Kate followed in the footsteps of Diana, who was given the same regimental cap of the Chitral Scouts regiment of Pakistan army when she visited in 1991. 

The Cambridges, who stopped off in Chitral to refuel their helicopter and were given an official welcome, 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. It was the first time the couple had seen a melting glacier. 

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.

His geography background – he studied it at St Andrew’s University – was also mentioned during the engagement, prompting amusement from the couple.

The duke said: ‘Dr Warren, my geography teacher, would be well impressed that I’m back at a glacier after all these years.’

‘I’ve been very impressed by William’s geography,’ a smiling Kate said.

William appeared eager learn more about the glacier, asking expert Dr Furrukh Bashir about the glacier’s size and flooding. He asked: ‘Do the glaciers flood at any time of year?’

The duchess wore a long taupe-coloured skirt and a darker coloured shirt under a leather vest for the visit. 

She opted for flat knee-high brown boots suitable for the rocky terrain, and accessoried with gold earrings and a beige pashmina, while William wore a teal shirt and beige chino trousers. 

Glaciers in the mountain range which joins together in northern Pakistan – the Hindu Kush, Karakoram and the Himalayas – provide water for 1.6 billion people.

There are more than 5,000 reasonable sized glaciers in the area but nearly 70 per cent of them are retreating, according to Dr Bashir, of the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

A glacier – made of highly compressed snow, which turns to ice – needs more snowmelt than snowfall and low temperatures found at a high altitude, he said.

Global warming has seen the Chiatibo Glacier retreat by some 32ft (10m) per year due to higher temperatures melting the ice.

The first threat from the glacier melting is flooding to communities down stream, while the second is removing the water supply completely – which provides for 200 million people in Pakistan. 

‘Scientific communities have agreed global warming is causing glacial retreat,’ Dr Bashir said. 

‘These glaciers are retreating and telling you that climate change is real, global warming is real. A quarter of humanity are dependent on these glaciers.’

In a speech yesterday evening, the duke urged the UK and Pakistan to ‘work together’ amid an ‘impending global catastrophe’ over climate change.

On the visit of the duke and duchess, who are hoping to highlight climate change issues in the area, Dr Bashir said: ‘They are highly influential people and they have a permanent position. 

‘If we convince them that this is happening because of climate change, global warming, greenhouse gases. Hopefully they will advocate to reverse global warming and climate change.’

Following the glacier excursion, the couple remained in the region to meet with communities affected by climate change.

They watched emergency response drills in a village in Chitral, which saw extensive damage from flooding in 2015. 

The couple hope to highlight the effect of global warming during the visit, which also saw them travel to a village in a valley of Chitral.

Isolated communities in the area have suffered from flash flooding in recent years as a result of the glaciers melting.

While in the Chitral valley, the couple explored a site damaged in severe floods in 2015, met the local community and heard how they are adapting their way of life in response to climate events.

William and Kate witnessed a drill conducted by volunteers from the local emergency response team – who are supported by UK aid – which was instrumental in preventing loss of life in 2015.

Before they departed the district, they visited a settlement of the Kalash people to learn about their community, heritage and traditions.

It comes after the Duke used a speech at the historic Pakistan Monument yesterday to draw attention to ‘spectacular’ glaciers melting in the area.

He told a reception in Islamabad last night: ‘Tomorrow we will be seeing some of these impacts first hand and meeting some of the communities adjusting to the new realities and new challenges that climate change has brought to their towns and villages.

‘I hope to learn what more we all can do to help prevent and mitigate this impending global catastrophe.’ 

Yesterday, the royal couple had a busy first day of engagements, which included visiting a government-run school in the capital Islamabad and meeting Prime Minister Imran Khan.

They ended the day at the reception, hosted by the British High Commissioner for Pakistan Thomas Drews, after arriving in an auto rickshaw. 

The Duke also raised the issue of climate change in his speech at the reception, saying that the country’s glaciers were under threat and as a result its water supply. 

‘For a country so young, Pakistan has endured many hardships, with countless lives lost to terror and hatred. 

‘Tonight I want to pay tribute to all those who have endured such sacrifice and helped to build the country that we see today,’ he said.

‘Whether in Pakistan or the UK or elsewhere on our planet – we face shared global challenges. 

‘The effects of climate change threaten the present and the future – and therefore demand a concerted effort by everyone.

‘In Pakistan, your spectacular glaciers – and those of the wider Hindu Kush-Himalaya region – serve as a critical water store for a quarter of a billion people.

‘And over 1.6 billion people rely on the great rivers that flow from the mountains in this part of the world. 

‘Yet, because the effects of global warming at altitude, a one and a half degree Celsius temperature increase overall could mean warming of over two degrees Celsius for northern Pakistan’s highest mountains.

‘This could lead to a loss of over a third of these vital glaciers in less than a century, with enormous impacts not only on the availability of water, but on agriculture and hydropower generation.’

The second in line to the throne’s sherwani buttoned coat was by Karachi-based designer Naushemian, while Kate wowed in a Jenny Packham dress in the national colours of dark green and Onitaa earrings, sourced from Pakistan. William also sported a pair of cashmere slippers made by Arthur Sleep at its factory in London.

Kate’s £290 earrings were gold plated with uncut crystal stones and were made especially for the duchess. 

Their tuk tuk arrival did cause some issues however, with drivers in Islamabad taking to Twitter to report a blockage of key roads tonight to allow the royals free passage across the city, with videos showing huge jams that left families stuck in their cars during rush hour.  

The couple met with well-known individuals from business, the creative arts, music and film industry, and members of Government at the monument on the western Shakarparian Hills.

The event showcased Pakistani music and culture, and a speech by the Duke showed the UK’s support for the Commonwealth country, which he called a ‘key partner and friend’.  

Earlier, the Duke shared a touching exchange with schoolgirls in Pakistan about their love for his late mother Princess Diana today as he also met the country’s Prime Minister on a royal tour with wife Kate. 

The couple visited the Islamabad Model College for Girls in the capital, touring classrooms and posing for a group picture with some of the young students, ranging from kindergarten age students to sixth formers.

William was told the girls were ‘big fans of your mother’. He gave a broad smile and said: ‘You were, really? Oh that’s very sweet of you. I was a big fan of my mother too. She came here three times. I was very small.’ 

The couple later had lunch with Prime Minister Imran Khan, with William changing into a smart suit, and Kate wearing trousers by Maheen Khan, a tunic by Catherine Walker, a scarf by Satrangi and earrings by Zeen.   

The five-day visit to Pakistan, following in Diana’s footsteps in 1997, is designed to champion the importance of quality education, and highlight how girls benefit from pursuing higher education and professional careers. 

The visit is the first time a Royal Family member has set foot in Pakistan for 13 years due to violence and terrorism that has blighted the country, including the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007.

Former international cricketer Mr Khan was a friend of Diana, Princess of Wales – who visited a cancer hospital in Lahore as a guest of him and his then wife, Jemima Goldsmith, in May 1997, just three months before her death.

The Duke reminded Mr Khan how the then cricketer told him he wanted to be Pakistan’s Prime Minister years ago. 

William recalled how everyone laughed at a gathering in Richmond-upon-Thames in 1996 when the former Sussex and Worcestershire cricketer announced his political ambition to the then teenage Prince William and Diana.

Diana had taken him to see Mr Khan and his then wife, Jemima Goldsmith, at the Goldsmith family home in Richmond.

Mr Khan, who was finally elected Pakistani Prime Minister in July 2018, suggested it had been as hard a slog as his earlier career as a Test cricketer.

‘When I went with my mother to see a Test match my cousin was playing and he scored a century and I told my mother I wanted to be a Test cricketer,’ he said.

‘I never realised how difficult it was to eventually become one. 

‘Similarly, when I told you that I wanted to succeed I didn’t realise it would take me 22 years.’

William, 37, replied: ‘Sure. It’s not so easy.’

His wife Kate, who was wearing white trousers by the Pakistani designer Maheen Khan, an emerald green tunic by Catherine Walker and a navy patterned scarf by Satrangi, another local designer, and earrings by the Pakistani firm Zeen, interjected: ‘You stuck with it.’

The Prime Minister was recalling his friendship with Diana when journalists were allowed into his chamber for a few seconds to see the royal couple meeting him today at his official residence in Islamabad.

They spoke about one of the places that the royal couple will visit tomorrow – the destination is currently under wraps – and Mr Khan said he thought Diana might have been there before.

Mr Khan, who was married to Jemima Goldsmith between 1995 and 2004, uses the residence – known simply as The Prime Minister’s House, for official entertaining but actually lives in his private house on the outskirts of the capital.

The Oxford-educated politician studied politics, philosophy, and economics at Keble College in the city of dreaming spurs between 1972 and 1975 before becoming a professional cricketer. 

He comes from a family of distinguished sportsmen: eight of his cousins have played first class cricket and two of them, Javed Burki and Majid Khan were also leading lights of the national Test team.

William and Kate and their entourage stayed at the residence for lunch. 

The couple also met with President Arif Alvi who recalled how as a boy he ran along a street in Karachi to catch a glimpse of the Queen during her 1961 state visit to his country. ‘It was miraculous to see her’ he said.

William and Kate joined President Arif Alvi, first lady Samina Alvi, the foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and his wife Mehreen, at the Presidential Palace in Islamabad.

William spoke of the Prince of Wales’s visit to Pakistan in 2006, while the duchess sat and chatted with the first lady, who asked her about their first engagement of the day at the Islamabad Modern College for Girls. 

‘It’s really great, a very positive environment for children,’ Kate said.

During their meeting, the President and first lady also exchanged gifts with William and Kate.

Earlier, at the school, Kate dazzled crowds as she stepped out in a traditional blue kurta and scarf by local designer Maheen Khan, while William opted for a casual shirt and trousers to stay cool in the Pakistan heat. 

The Cambridges pulled up tiny chairs so they could sit and chat to pupils in their classroom at the school, which also teaches young boys – and they also used the occasion to talk about the importance of mental health.

Sitting in the classroom with a group of teenagers, Prince William – who will, of course, be king one day – was asked what he had wanted to do when he was younger after Aima, 14, told him that she wanted to be a brain surgeon. 

He said: ‘Actually I changed a lot as I got older but I always wanted to learn to fly. I was flying for a while actually. 

‘I love flying, I feel very free, I like learning a skill, I enjoy that. I can relate the science of what you do.’ 

Inside the school the couple first sat with a group of kindergarten children, aged around four, as they learnt about numbers and counting under a sign which read: Work Hard, Be Smart.

‘Well done, very good,’ said the prince, who introduced himself by shaking each of their hands, as they chatted. 

They also met a class of youngsters aged 10 to 12 who were told by their teacher: ‘We have some guests in our class, can we welcome them?’

‘Hello, welcome, nice to meet you,’ the children chorused. 

In the science room, William and Kate chatted at length with a group of 14-year-olds wearing headscarves. ‘This is the science class, yes? 

‘Some of the girls were saying that science is their favourite subject at school,’ asked the duchess.

William added: ‘Do you remember the periodic table? I know that a long time ago, but Catherine you remember it well, don’t you?’

‘Do you get to do a lot of experiments?’ Kate asked, ‘your English is all so good.’ 

Her husband added: ‘We are trying to learn Urdu as we go on, we only know a few words now, but we hope to get better. ‘ 

Asked by the chattering group of girls what they thought of Pakistan so far, Kate beamed and replied: ‘It’s fantastic, this is only day one for us. 

‘We are going to the north so we will be interested to explore see the difference.’ 

‘Are you enjoying it?’ they asked the prince. 

‘Very much so. This is day one but we have been wanting to come (for a long time) so it’s nice to finally be here. 

‘My mother was here a long time ago, so it’s very nice, my grandmother was here, my father’s been here….a lot of my family members have been here…’

Kate added: ‘This part of the visit is really important to us, the issue of girls and education.’

William interjected: ‘How easy is it for girls to get access to education in Pakistan? Is it easy for girls to be educated in Pakistan.’

He seemed delighted to hear that Aima wanted to be a brain surgeon and her friends armies to be poets, lawyers, army officers, teachers – and even a famous cricketer.

Afterwards Aima said: ‘It was very interesting it was a real honour. We are big fans of the king and queen. We learnt all about his mother, Diana, the princess.

‘In the UK we’re trying to make sure mental health is part of education as well,’ the duke told a teacher.

He said students from disadvantaged backgrounds do not have a ‘stable health platform to build on’ and that education in this area is important.

William has frequently spoken out on mental health, including recently lending his voice to a promotional video for Every Mind Matters, an initiative by Public Health England and the NHS.

He and Kate heard how students are benefiting from the Teach For Pakistan programme, a fast-track teacher training scheme modelled on the UK’s successful Teach First. 

Mohammed Sohailkhan, area education officer, explained that the quality of education, particularly for girls, varied across the country.

‘In recent years there has been gradual progress in understanding how important education is for girls and young women. There is a realisation of what it can mean in terms of jobs and prospects,’ he said.

‘I can’t paint you an entirely rosy picture. It does still fluctuate wildly, particularly in rural regions, where there has traditionally been cultural barriers towards this, notably in terms of sending girls away to college. But these barriers are slowly being broken down. ‘

The couple’s next engagement was at the Margalla Hills National Park, north of Islamabad, where security officials were seen tightening up operations this morning in preparation. 

Continuing the theme of education, the couple were meeting children from three local schools in the hills, which sit in the foothills of the Himalayas. 

William and Kate also had lunch with Prime Minister Imran Khan and are attending a special reception at the National Monument in their first full day of engagements.

‘It was such a pleasure to meet him and talk about school. She is so very beautiful. Her kurta was beautiful, it is our country’s dress, she was looking very beautiful and we were very touched that she wore it. ‘

Before they left the couple, who appeared delighted at the way the visit had gone, posed for a group picture with some of the students.

The Government-run school in central Islamabad, which educates students between the ages of 4 and 18, was established in 1978.

It currently benefits from the ‘Teach for Pakistan’ programme, a fast-track teacher training programme modelled on the UK’s successful ‘Teach First’ scheme, which is focused on improving the quality of teaching in schools which serve families from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

UK aid has helped more than 5.5 million girls get a quality education since 2011, according to the British High Commission. The duke spoke of the UK’s aim of teaching young people about mental health as he was leaving the school.

The visit hopes to strengthen ties between the two nations. The UK is seeking to improve its international relations with Brexit looming, while Pakistan hopes to promote itself as a tourist destination amid security fears.

‘Pakistan is the world’s sixth largest country by population,’ the duke said last night. 

‘It has an unbelievably diverse geography that spans deserts to glaciers and everything in between. It is the birth place of the youngest ever Nobel peace prize winner. 

‘We share unique bonds and so it will always be in our best interests for Pakistan to succeed. 

‘Not least because of the 1.5 million people living in the UK with Pakistani origin and the fact that the UK is one of the biggest investors in Pakistan’s economy.

‘You can always rely on the UK to keep playing an important role as a key partner and friend.’ 

More than 1,000 Pakistani police officers have been deployed to secure the couple’s safety during their travels across the country. 

All details of their engagements will be released by the palace on the day for security reasons.

William and Kate were greeted off the plane by Pakistan’s foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and his wife at the Pakistani Air Force base in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad, on Monday night.

After their official welcome, William and Kate headed off in a heavily-guarded convoy to their base for the week, the High Commissioner’s official residence in the capital, Islamabad. 

The Duke and Duchess flew to Pakistan on the British Government’s official Voyager aircraft, courtesy of the Royal Air Force, and were joined by journalists on the plane.

They arrived at Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan, Rawalpindi on Monday at 9.30pm local time (5.30pm UK).

The Airbus A330 plane can in civilian configuration carry 335 passengers, although it is instead fitted with 58 business-class seats and 100 economy seats.

The plane was first unveiled in July 2016 when David Cameron was prime minister and nicknamed ‘Cam Force One’ after America’s presidential jet.

The aircraft is based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and was refitted for £10million to provide transport for ministers and members of the Royal Family.

The couple’s presence in Pakistan – the first royal visit since Charles and Camilla undertook a lengthy tour in 2006 – has sparked a major security operation involving more than 1,000 local police officers due to the ongoing threat of militant terrorism in the Muslim-majority state.

Pakistan has, in recent years, been damaged by allegations that the country’s military leadership have sponsored Taliban forces in neighbouring Afghanistan and turned a blind eye to support for Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who was found living in a compound in Abbottabad in 2011.

It is hoped that a successful tour by the Cambridges will help Prime Minister Imran Khan’s efforts to restore his country’s reputation internationally. 

William and Kate’s travels will span more than 700 miles, taking in both the cities of Islamabad and Lahore, as well as vast mountainous regions in the north and west of the country.

The trip has been designed to showcase the best modern Pakistan has to offer and emphasise the ongoing political, cultural, social and economic ties it enjoys with the UK, highlighting Britain’s continuing role on the international stage away from the Brexit crisis. 

Rising tensions with India over the disputed region of Kashmir and continuing concerns over Islamic terror groups means that details of the couple’s engagements are being kept under wraps until the last possible moment.

But aides say the couple are still immensely looking forward to the ‘challenging’ visit, saying: ‘They are now in their late 30s and ready to take on these more complex and demanding tours on behalf of the British Government.’

The couple are keen to meet as many Pakistanis as possible – particularly young people – and highlight work being undertaken to improves access to education for girls and young women, climate change and the ‘complex’ security picture.

The visit will also no doubt prove to be an emotional one for the prince His late mother dated British-Pakistani heart surgeon Hasnat Khan for two years before her death In 1997. 

She famously visited the country with her friend Jemima Goldsmith, the British heiress who was then married to Imran Khan, to meet Hasnat’s family in 1996. 

Authorities in Delhi and Islamabad both claim the Himalayan region in full, but each controls a section of the territory, recognised internationally as ‘Indian-administered Kashmir’ and ‘Pakistan-administered Kashmir’. 

Skirmishes between the two sides at the de-facto border have increased this year, causing troop and civilian casualties.

Pakistan has seen a number of security incidents in recent months, including a bombing outside a shrine in central Lahore, as well as an attack by armed militants on the Pearl Continental Hotel in Gwadar, Balochistan. 

With Brexit looming, the tour comes as London hopes to bolster its international relationships, while Islamabad is keen to promote itself as a tourist destination amid concerns over security and violence in the region.

It will span more than 620 miles of the country, including the capital Islamabad, the city of Lahore, the mountainous countryside in the north and border regions to the west. 

Their itinerary includes a range of occasions and locations.

William and Kate are expected to meet leaders from government and well-known cultural figures and sporting stars, as well as visiting programmes which empower young people.

They will also cover how communities in Pakistan are responding and adapting to climate change, and are due to spend time understanding the ‘complex security picture’ of the region.

Their tour of Pakistan comes more than 13 years since the last royal visit, seen as one of the most perilous royal foreign tours for some time, when the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall travelled to the country in 2006.  

William and Kate are following in the footsteps of both his parents, as Diana, Princess of Wales, made the journey several times through her charity work.

An image of the Princess cuddling a gravely ill seven-year-old boy was among Diana’s favourites and she kept a copy of it always.

It was taken amid the chaos of a Pakistan cancer hospital in 1996 and was a reflex action on her part. 

The little boy did not once look at her because he was blind and had just weeks to live.

To Diana, the picture represented everything about how she wished to be seen: compassionate and ready to break down the barriers of protocol.

The Princess visited the country three times, once when married to Prince Charles and twice more after her separation when she was in love with the Pakistan-born heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.

At the time, she was considering marriage to him and even moving to his homeland.

During her trips, she would slip away privately to meet his family but there will be no such cloak-and-dagger antics for Prince William.

It is far more likely that he and Kate will follow the template of Diana’s 1991 tour, her first solo visit representing the Queen to a Commonwealth country.

The couple have left their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, at home during their visit.