Today Palace released a statement about the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s upcoming royal visit to Pakistan. The Palace described the tour as ” The most complex tour undertaken by The Duke and Duchess to date, given the logistical and security considerations“.
William and Catherine will embark on their first official visit to South Asian Country Pakistan on October 14 on the request of the U.K.’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The 5 days tour will last until October 18. The statement says the tour, “will largely focus on showcasing Pakistan as it is today – a dynamic, aspirational and forward-looking nation.“
As expected, Palace did not release any details of the itinerary or the places the couple will be visiting. William and Catherine’s visit will be the first visit of this decade to the commonwealth country. William’s father Charles, the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visited Pakistan 13 years ago in 2006. Previously, Queen Elizabeth II has also visited Pakistan, first in 1961, then in 1997.
William’s mother Diana, the Princess of Wales travelled to Pakistan on three occasions – September 1991 on an official solo visit and then privately in 1996 to help raise money to build the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and in 1997 to officially open the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital. The Palace said,
Throughout the tour, Their Royal Highnesses will visit programmes which empower young people, and organisations that help ensure they have the best possible start in life. Access to quality education, particularly to girls and young women is one of the UK’s top priorities in Pakistan. The Duke and Duchess are looking forward to spending time meeting young Pakistanis, and hearing more about their aspirations for the future.
Their Royal Highnesses’ programme will also cover how communities in Pakistan are rapidly responding and adapting to the effects of climate change. This a key area of interest for Their Royal Highnesses; they are keen to learn more about the climate change issues affecting Pakistan and our world, and the positive work being undertaken to combat these challenges.
From the statement, we can deduce that the couple will be visiting capital city Islamabad, Lahore, the mountainous countryside in the North, and the rugged border regions to the West. The visit will span over 1000km and will take in Pakistan’s rich culture, its diverse communities, and its beautiful landscapes.
Richard Palmer on Twitter reported that the Palace will be announcing the day to day engagements. As per Harper’s Bazaar report,
William and Kate won’t be traveling alone. Flying with the couple on the Royal Air Force Voyager, a team of 14 will ensure everything runs meticulously to plan. Amongst the entourage are private secretaries Catherine Quinn and Simon Case and head of communications Christian Jones, with four other team members, two assistant private secretaries, two program coordinators, a palace assistant, an orderly, and a privately-funded hairstylist, believed to be Amanda Cook Tucker, for the duchess.
I understand the security concerns are the biggest issue here. But I sure look forward to the vibrant, diverse and full of excitement tour. This visit will be a milestone in the couple’s journey as royals. I wish it to be a very successful and safe visit.
Duchess gave a glimpse of what to expect on style front on Wednesday during a visit to Aga Khan Center in London. We can expect lots of modest, elegant and sartorially diplomatic outfits from Catherine. Stay tuned for more.
