The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge began their tour of Pakistan today after the country heightened security provisions for the couple’s five-day visit.
Their arrival in Islamabad this evening, on the British Government’s RAF Voyager plane, marked their first official visit to the Islamic country and ‘most complex’ tour to date, Kensington Palace said, due to political tensions and security concerns in the region.
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.
Their arrival in Islamabad this evening, on the British Government’s RAF Voyager plane, marked their first official visit to the Islamic country and ‘most complex’ tour to date, Kensington Palace said, due to political tensions and security concerns in the region
Their trip, at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, comes during heightened tensions between Pakistan and India over the disputed region of Kashmir.
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.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the Aga Khan Centre in London last Wednesday ahead of their trip to Pakistan
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet with guests during the special event hosted by the Aga Khan in London last week
The tour, which wraps up on Friday, seeks to strengthen ties between the UK and Pakistan.
With Brexit looming, it 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.
Prince Charles and Camilla arrive at Islamabad Airport at the start of their official visit to Pakistan in October 2006
Charles and Camilla tour the ruins of houses in Pattika, Pakistan, in November 2006 – a year after it was hit by an earthquake
Charles holds a traditional Pakistani hat known as a ‘Tasher’ he was presented with as Camilla laughs in Islamabad in 2006
The image of the Princess cuddling a gravely ill seven-year-old boy Mohammed Ashrif in 1996 was among Diana’s favourites and she kept a copy of it always
William will be 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.
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