Prince William and Kate Middleton on Thursday visited Lahore's historic Badshahi Mosque as they arrived in the provincial capital of Punjab on the fourth day of their Pakistan tour.
The royal couple was received by the Imam of the mosque. Kate was seen radiating in a traditional Pakistan attire with a dupatta covering her head, as the two listened to a recitation from the Holy Quran. Prince William, donning a cream-colored suit with a black tie, sat with his legs crossed and his hands resting on his ankles. The couple changed into formal attire for the visit to the mosque with William sporting a suit and tie and Middleton, who earlier in the day was seen in an embroidered white Pakistani ensemble, donning a green tunic, trousers, and dupatta.
The Badshahi Moque located within the Walled City was also visited by William’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth when she was in the country with husband Prince Philip in 1961, and his mother Diana during her 1991 tour.
Next on their itinerary is a visit to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre.
William's late mother, Diana, who was a friend of Prime Minister Imran Khan, visited Pakistan twice — 1996 and 1997 — to help raise awareness and funds for the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital.
Birthday party, cricket on agenda
The couple — who are the first royals to officially visit Pakistan since Prince Charles and his wife Camilla visited the region in 2006 — were received by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Governor Chaudhry Sarwar upon arrival at the Lahore airport on Thursday morning. The guests were also presented souvenirs by Buzdar and Sarwar after an official meeting.
William and Kate then visited the SOS Children's Village, where, they took part in a storytelling session and interacted with the staff and children.
Prince William and Middleton also attended a birthday party for three children at the SOS Village. The duchess spoke briefly at the event and wished the children 'happy birthday' in Urdu.fterwards, the duke and duchess went to the National Cricket Academy where both of them tried their hand at batting.
After the game, the couple received some gifts — including a cricket bat for their children. An official told them, “You must apologise to Prince Louis because the bat is bigger than he is”, according to People magazine.
Royal visit
The duke and duchess arrived in Islamabad for their maiden visit to Pakistan on Monday night. Their second day was a busy one, which started with a visit to a girl's college in the capital and then Margalla Hills, where they attended an event regarding environmental protection. The couple was hosted by President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Aiwan-i-Sadr and Prime Minister House, respectively.
In the evening, they attended a star-studded reception, hosted by British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew, at the National Monument where William, in his first official address, paid tribute to all the people who "endured sacrifice and helped build Pakistan to the country it is today".On the third day of their five-day trip, the royals paid a visit to Chitral district to observe the effect of climate change in the region.
During the visit, the couple flew to the Baroghil Valley National Park in the extreme north and the Bumburate Valley in the south where they mingled with the Kalasha community.
Upon reaching the Bumburate Valley, the couple was given a red-carpet reception by the Kalasha community — led by MPA Wazir Zada — from where they drove to a number of sites devastated by flash floods in 2015. The royal couple was told about the causes of the natural disasters in the region.
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