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Kate Middleton and Prince William are returning home to the U.K. Friday after their five-day tour of Pakistan, and there might be a congratulatory letter from the Queen waiting for them. Sources at the palace said the monarch has been keeping a close eye on the trip, the first royal visit to the country in 13 years. The couple are said to have enjoyed the trip, on which they played cricket, the national sport, traveled into the Hindu Kush mountains, wore traditional head dresses, and took a rickshaw to a black tie reception.
Over the past five days the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge brought their trademark magic to the country, through their respectful and elegant wardrobe choices, the places they visited, the causes they came to learn more about, and the people they met “They have played a blinder,” says the Daily Mail’s royal writer Richard Kay. “They’ve looked like they have really had a ball in Pakistan. William looked happy and Kate didn’t stop smiling. She is just an absolute pro.”
Aides have said that the tour was challenging to plan, but the itinerary went according to schedule. When an electrical storm meant the couple’s plane couldn’t land in the capital Thursday evening, the couple’s team of aides had a back-up plan in place.
The royal plane had been flying the couple, their communications team and the press corps to Islamabad but they were unable to land and the flight returned to Lahore. “I think it was quite an adventure really,” the duchess said when asked about the mid-air drama.
The party flew to the capital to carry out the final engagements this morning. “It was pretty bumpy up there but we were looked after so wonderfully by the RAF,” who did a great job liaising with everyone and got us home safely,’ Kate said during a visit to the Army Canine Centre, where British servicemen help Pakistani soldiers train animals to sniff out explosives.
Dressed in a traditional white kurta teamed with a Beluah coat, Kate was enthusiastic about meeting two of the center’s Labrador puppies. As Vanity Fair previously reported, she packed up to three outfit options for each day, many of which were by Pakistani designers. The Duchess’s outfits were eye-catching and demure, and the choice of different shades of green was a subtle way of paying tribute to the country. Today’s kurta was by local designer Elan, and over the course of the trip she also wore outfits by Gul Ahmed and Maheen Khan. Even the Duke embraced the local style and wore a lavish sherwani suit to the reception where the couple arrived in a colorful rickshaw.
The security has been tighter than on any previous tour. The fleet of royal cars and media buses were subjected to regular security checks, while the couple’s aides had to undergo hostile-environment training before heading to Pakistan. There were also several military drills to make sure every element of the tour was safe.
On Friday William spoke about Pakistan’s security ties with the U.K. and said events in Pakistan had a direct effect on security on the streets of Britain. “The whole week we have been hearing about security in Pakistan, and it’s really brought home to Catherine and I the importance of the relationship between the U.K. and Pakistan,” he said. “We are involved with the Pakistanis for a very good reason—it will actually keep people safe back in the U.K.”
The tour program was designed to promote U.K.-Pakistan relations and promote Pakistan as a tourism destination, but William and Kate were also keen to reflect their own interests, climate change and the importance of quality education.
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