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Showing posts with label William and Kate Pakistan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label William and Kate Pakistan. Show all posts
Just when we thought coverage had wrapped up on the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's tour, several images unexpectedly emerged.
You might recall after William and Kate carried out engagements in Islamabad, including a visit to Model School for girls and a visit to Margalla, they were scheduled to privately meet staff from the British High Commission.
The Palace didn't share more on it, however guests posted a few snaps on Instagram today. I imagine the reception was an opportunity to thank all those from the British High Commission, Ambassador Thomas Drew and his team for seamlessly organising the trip.
Kate's very pretty floral dress is the Ghost Avery style (with thanks to Emily for the ID). Ghost London is a very chic brand offering a range of stylish dresses and timeless occasion wear. I've been hoping to see Kate in their pieces for some time. The Georgette mix and match print is available and retails for £250.
I'm flying out the door, so this a brief one. Hope you're all having a great evening!
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge concluded their five-day official visit to Pakistan today.
The trip concluded on a high note, with the couple speaking to the media and attending engagements. Behind the scenes, aides and officials from the British High Commission were presented with an incredible logistical challenge last night when the couple and members of the press were forced to return to Lahore en route to Islamabad due to inclement weather conditions. It meant several engagements had to be cancelled or rearranged, and last minute accommodation and security arrangements were put in place.
'They touched down in Pakistan's capital at around midday - hours later than expected after a terrifying electrical storm forced their pilot to abandon the first attempted landing and overnight in Lahore.
Last night, British High Commission officials sprang into action to find the couple a hotel room, along with their entourage, security team and around fifty journalists - almost 100 rooms in all.
The couple privately thanked their RAF pilots and praised royal aides and British High Commission officials for coming up with an emergency backup plan so quickly and with minimal fuss.
William also personally insisted that journalists travelling with himself and Kate, who were also on the flight, came with them to the hotel and were found a bed for the night. 'The Duke's immediate reaction was that nobody was being left behind, we were all in it together. He was adamant about that,' a source said.'
Logistical changes meant a visit to Kyhber Pass, on the border with Afghanistan, had to be cancelled. The trip had been planned as one of the last engagements of the tour, not only to highlight the important strategic military location and trade route, but as an opportunity to see another important element of the country. Instead, the Duke and Duchess undertook a private engagement in Lahore before returning to Islamabad. Local reporters revealed they actually returned to SOS Children's Villages because they enjoyed their first visit so much. William was wearing a bracelet, which he was likely given by one of the children there.
They concluded the tour surrounded by adorable puppies at Islamabad Army Canine Centre.
Before Prince George was born, Lupo was the Cambridges' first "baby". When they were living in Wales, we saw the cocker spaniel with the couple on beaches near Anglesey for walks. The royal family absolutely adore dogs, so this was a very fun one to wrap up with.
The Duke and Duchess took golden Labrador puppies Sky and Salto for a walk.
'The royals were at the Army Canine Centre in Islamabad, which mirrors the U.K. Defense Animal Training Centre in the English Midlands. In a relationship that goes back a decade, Britain has been helping the Pakistan Counter Improvised Explosive Device program as it aims to take on the ongoing security challenges of the region.
Part of that alliance with the U.K. is the breeding and training of dogs to identify explosives. Pakistani officers say the dog program has been a huge success, finding 19 tons of explosives and 700 homemade bombs in the past three years. Bomb incidents have fallen 30 percent since 2015.'
They were shown training areas and discussed the successful impact the dogs have made.
Some of you have been suggesting we'll see another addition to the Cambridge household. My money's on a pet Labrador sooner rather than later :)
Afterwards, the couple briefly spoke to media outlets who had accompanied them throughout the trip. William said: "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 UK and Pakistan. A lot of lives have been lost by the Pakistanis in securing large parts of this country over the years and those sacrifices from the Pakistanis should be acknowledged. It’s been a huge, huge undertaking for them. Actually, what happens here in Pakistan directly correlates to what happens on the streets of the UK. We are involved with the Pakistanis for a very good reason: it will actually keep people safe back in the UK."
The Duchess recalled the turbulent departure from Lahore: "I think it was quite an adventure really, 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, so we are hugely grateful to them."
The full interview is included in the video below.
The Duchess also spoke exclusively to CNN's Max Foster at SOS Children's Villages yesterday: "I think William and I really wanted to come and see an SOS Children's Village like this. There are so many vulnerable women here but they really use their positivity. The support the village here provides them really to support and protect the next generation. The children in their care and give them the best possible start to their future lives." Regarding the visit, Kate said: "It's been fantastic, we've seen a lot of Pakistan. There's been a huge variety. It was amazing seeing some of the geography, but then to see some of the community activities like this has been really special."
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, spoke to @MaxFosterCNN in an exclusive interview during her five-day tour to Pakistan along with Prince William. This is her first interview since she became a part of the royal family.https://t.co/rlhWr9Lcy7pic.twitter.com/utQumgiD3S
It's been fascinating to learn more about Pakistan throughout the tour; the causes, culture, people and traditions. The Palace and British High Commission organised a beautiful itinerary despite security challenges. It was Kate's first Commonwealth tour in over three years, and I very much hope it marks the first of regular visits across many member nations in the years to come. The links between the monarchy and the Commonwealth are so precious, it's vital to continue those relationships. We saw the couple follow in Diana's footsteps with poignant moments along the way. I think Kate was particularly touched by the work of SOS Children's Villages. Supporting the most vulnerable children ties in perfectly with her work at home. I was so pleased to hear Kate give a speech and her first tour interview. Hearing from the royals directly adds so much context to overseas trips. They received a wonderful welcome in Pakistan. Someday George will visit and retrace his parents' footsteps; that sense of continuity is something I love about the monarchy.
Sartorially, Kate embraced traditional looks with an array of shalwar kameez, kurta, dupatta and other pieces from local designers such as Maheen Khan and longtime favourites Catherine Walker and Jenny Packham. The majority of Kate's looks were bespoke with accessories and shoes from her own collection and Pakistani brands. We saw several shades of green honouring the country's flag, along with periwinkle blues, white and black pieces. It was a treat to learn about new designers and to see the styles on Kate. Which pieces were your favourites? Today's first look and the show-stopping Jenny Packham gown take the crown for me.
For her final looks of the day, we saw ensembles featuring pieces from several designers and brands. For the departure from Lahore, Kate wore a gorgeous black and white embroidered kurta by Pakistani fashion designer Élan. It was worn with matching white trousers.
Kate carried her Smythson Black Panama East/West tote.
And accessorised with a pair of her earrings, thought to be the Accessorize Filigree style.
After much searching, it's been determined the new J Crew pumps Kate has been wearing during the tour are the Lucie pumps (a big thank you to Kate's closet who discovered they are also known as the 'Colette'). The $220 D'Orsay suede pumps are available at J Crew (25% off with code BUNDLEUP).
Kate changed from her kurta to the Beulah London Papilio jacket from their Autumn/Winter 2014 Collection. It's possible Kate's had the piece for several years.
A huge thank you to Andrew Parsons, Stephen Lock and all the photographers who provided amazing photography every day. I also want to sincerely thank everyone who followed on the blog and commented, and from those on the ground in Pakistan who shared background information and local excitement.
It was a great day of varied engagements in Pakistan's largest city Lahore for the penultimate day of the Cambridge's tour.
Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and their families greeted them at Lahore Airport.
Before the tour, I heard a rumour William and Kate planned to visit SOS Children's Villages - I was delighted to see that was the case today. SOS is the largest independent, non-profit development organisation operating all over the world. The villages provide alternative families to children without proper parental care. Typically, children of all ages live together in a house with a 'Mother' who is responsible for meeting the children's physical needs. These women are often single or widows, and able to fully commit themselves to the responsibilities included. The ethos of SOS is all about fostering a sense of belonging and family which is why several children are raised together and brought up as siblings. I first heard about their work some time ago and was really struck, in particular, by the women essentially dedicating their lives to raising children from difficult backgrounds and ensuring they get a childhood filled with love, stability and safety.
Headquartered in Austria, the first SOS Village was founded by child welfare officer Hermann Gmeiner in Tyrol, Austria, in 1949. During the course of his work, Gmeiner saw how children orphaned as a result of World War II suffered. Hermann passed away in 1986 with the knowledge his vision had grown to help children all over the world. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize several times for his groundbreaking efforts.
I'm sure Hermann could never have imagined SOS would be active in 136 countries. In 2017 alone, over 85,000 children and youths were raised in 572 SOS Children's Villages and over 700 SOS Youth Facilities. Another 3.8 million children and adults received services from their other programs. The structure in Lahore is home to over 150 young girls and boys.
The royal visit coincided with a very special birthday party for Iman, Ibrahim and Daniyal. Celebrations included cake, music and a host of activities. Iman told Simon Perry: "It was very nice to meet the Prince and Princess. I am so happy and thankful to have them to celebrate my birthday."
During a speech, Kate praised the "vital role of mothers" and shared a few words in Urdu. "I’m aware that many of you have experienced extremely difficult times in your lives, but it is inspiring to see how you have used your strength and positivity to help transform the lives of so many young children here."
'“Assalam O Alaikum,” she said. “Iman, Ibrahim aur Daniyal apni salgirah pur bulanay ka bohat shukria.” (Translation: “Hello. Peace be upon you. Iman, Ibrahim and Daniyal, thank you for inviting us to your birthday celebration.”)'
The Duchess said: 'Being here in Pakistan this week, William and I have seen on several occasions how family is at the heart of your culture. Parents, children, aunts, uncles, grandparents all play important roles - you have reminded us exactly what family means. You have shown us too that it is not simply a term that describes the relationship between blood relatives.
"Instead it describes those special bonds we share with those who make us feel safe and supported. It is the quality of those relationships that matters. 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. Here, women who were once vulnerable, now play the most vital of roles as mothers and it is most heartening to see that you are not doing this alone.'
During story time with a group of children, William asked a young boy how old he thought he was. He was quite impressed when he responded "21". The Telegraph reports the Prince replied: "I am a little bit older than that. I have my own children. A little boy called Louis and then there is Charlotte and then George, who is six. He’s almost as old as you." I imagine they are both missing the children quite a lot now, and greatly looking forward to seeing them tomorrow. After reading Kate said "that's quite a sad story". This is such a sweet video...
'The Duke of Cambridge took to the crease at Pakistan's national cricket academy and impressed his hosts by hitting a six.
The notoriously competitive Royal couple both joined in a match with budding players during a full day in city of Lahore, visiting the National Cricket Academy. While the Duke scored big, the Duchess was caught out twice.
Waqar Younis, former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, was umpiring and said: "I'm glad that they came - it was a great encouragement for these young kids. On their skills, he joked: "They probably need some homework! William told me he has played a lot of tennis - and that he really only played cricket when he was younger. But he said he can work on it."
For her first look of the day, the Duchess wore a Shalwar Kameez by Pakistani textile company Gul Ahmed and a matching shawl by Maheen Khan.
You'll notice Jasmine - the national flower of Pakistan - embroidered on the tunic.
With thanks to Kate's Closet and Kate Middleton Style, it appears Kate wore a pair of J Crew Colette D'Orsay pumps. The shoes could also be the almost identical Lucie style, however from looking at photos the Colette appear right to me.
Kate accessorised with her Asprey Oak Leaf earrings.
For the cricket, Kate took inspiration from Princess Charlotte, sporting a pair of Hampton Canvas Shoes from Trotters. We've seen Charlotte in the children's version of the shoes a couple of times.
Following a change of attire, William and Kate visited Badshahi Mosque.
Located west of Lahore Fort along the outskirts of the Walled City, the mosque is widely considered one of Lahore's definitive landmarks.
Built by Emperor Aurangzeb in 1671, it is the largest and the last of the grand imperial mosques built by the Mughals.
It's an outstanding, historic piece of architecture.
It is renowned for the carved marble and elaborate plasterwork that are used throughout the interior.
The Mosque has a long tradition of royal visitors. Over the decades, the Queen, Diana, Charles and Camilla have viewed it during tours.
William and Kate toured the courtyard before meeting faith leaders inside to discuss encouraging unity within their communities. They sat down and listened to a prayer from the Holy Quran.
'William is understood to have asked a question of the group about how interfaith issues are promoted amongst young people.
Dr Ayesha Leghari said afterwards that the couple had been 'interested and empathetic listeners', saying: 'You have people who are interested listeners and people who are also empathetic and they were very empathetic. We were really pleased. They were very responsive and very charming.'
The first to speak was Dr Leghari, a Sunni Muslim scholar, explaining the verse. 'I was telling then how it is compulsory for us to respect other religions. God sent a messenger to every part of the globe and peace is to be attained through the process of growth. When we don't give importance to negative emotions like jealousy, violence and greed and we move towards a higher level of being where we are more loving and compassionate. It is part of our belief to respect other religions.' She said: 'They were interested in finding out about how the youth thought about interfaith interactions.''
Simon Perry reports before they departed, Honorary Consul, UK Fakir Aijaz Uddin told the couple "If there's one word to describe your visit it is "joy." You have radiated joy wherever you have been". William replied, "We are very happy people".
William and Kate's final port of call saw them retrace Diana's footsteps at the Shaukat Khanum cancer hospital.
Earlier this week, we chatted about Diana's visits to the country, where she spent time with close friend Jemima Goldsmith, the former wife of Prime Minister Imran Khan. In the 1990s, Mr Khan was determined to build the hospital after his mother succumbed to cancer. During her illness, he witnessed the plight of cancer patients in Pakistan and knew a purpose built centre was absolutely vital. Diana supported the effort both in the country and back in the UK. Today it is Pakistan's largest tertiary care cancer hospital.
Kensington Palace shared the following via Instagram: "In 1996 and 1997 Diana, Princess of Wales visited the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, a state-of-the-art cancer facility located in the centre of Lahore."
William and Kate spent time with several patients and their families. They played a fish hooking game with Muhammad Samir, who has Hodgkins Lymphoma.
The best was saved until last when the tiara moment we've all been waiting for happened. William and Kate joined seven-year-old Wafia Rehmani for a tea party. Wafia has a kidney tumour and told the couple she wants to be a doctor when she grows up.
The little girl gave Kate a tiara matching her own. I can only imagine what it meant to Wafia to have a real life princess there. I remember some years ago Princess Madeleine of Sweden invited a group of children to the Palace for a special event, and she was dressed in a flowing gown and sparkling tiara. The children loved it, and I've always thought it would be great to see something similar from Kate. This may beat any Lovers Knot or Lotus Flower Tiara appearance for me :)
“Her father calls her princess and she likes to wear a crown. Now she is looking forward to meeting a real princess,” her brother, Hedyatullah Rehmani, said as they waited for the couple to arrive at the children's chemotherapy ward.'
The Duchess wore an elegant bespoke turquoise and gold Shalwar Kameez and matching headscarf by Maheen Khan. Kate's chosen several looks by the talented designer, known as Pakistan's first couturier.
The Duchess was barefoot as she was visiting the mosque, she wore red nail polish on her toes.
Kate accessorised with her Catherine Zoraida Fern Hoop earrings.
Afterwards, William and Kate boarded the RAF Voyager with their staff and the press pack to return to Islamabad. Due to weather conditions, a change of plan was necessary. Simon Perry reports:
'After a busy day of engagements in Lahore, the royal couple were traveling back to Islamabad on a jet when a terrifying electrical storm hit. At one point, lightning could be seen over the right wing as the plane bumped and rolled side to side over stormy Islamabad.
Despite the best efforts of the pilot to land the RAF Voyager at two different airports, the plane had to turn back to Lahore. The flight was meant to take about 25 minutes, but the plane was in the air for two hours.
After landing, experienced pilot Prince William reassured members of the media at the back of the plane — and joked that he was the one doing the flying. He suggested it was either going to be a night out in Lahore, or they would return to the capital for the evening.'
Reporters and photographers on board said "That was the most nervous I've ever felt in a plane" and "I hate flying". Thankfully, they were able to safely return to Lahore.
William and Kate will return to the UK around lunchtime tomorrow. Before that, they are due to carry out engagements in the morning (presuming they can return to Islamabad). Many thanks to you all for your patience regarding posts. Logistically with the itinerary under wraps and delays in images and videos, it's taken longer than anticipated to complete posts.
Munere veritus fierent cu sed, congue altera mea te, ex clita eripuit evertitur duo. Legendos tractatos honestatis ad mel. Legendos tractatos honestatis ad mel.
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