The Duchess of Cambridge wore a traditional kurta in another nod to local fashion today as she and Prince William left Lahore after following in Diana’s footsteps on a historic five-day tour.
Kate wowed onlookers in the white tunic from Pakistani brand Élan as she strolled along the tarmac with her husband as they prepared to fly home for a weekend with their children.
It came a day after she was praised for ‘channeling eastern elegance’ by donning a stylish turquoise headscarf during a visit to a mosque in Lahore.
William and Kate had to overnight in the city after a terrifying electrical storm forced their plane to abandon its landing in the Pakistani capital, it can be revealed today.
With no sign of the weather improving, their pilot had to return to the city where they had spent the day on official engagements, and ground the plane for the night.
They landed in Islamabad just after midday, where they will visit an army canine centre before flying back home to join Prince George, six, Princess Charlotte, four, and one-year-old Prince Louis.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had to overnight in Lahore after a terrifying electrical storm forced their plane to abandon its landing in Islamabad, it can be revealed today. They are seen here leaving Lahore this morning for Islamabad
Their plane hit a huge storm yesterday, forcing the couple to overnight in Lahore, where they are pictured on the airport runway before a flight to the Pakistani capital
British High Commission officials sprung into action to find the couple a hotel room, along with their encourage, security team and around fifty journalists – almost 100 rooms in all
The royals insisted journalists and diplomats were given a hotel room for the night after last night’s terrifying ordeal, as royal aides hurriedly changed their schedule
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visiting the historical Badshahi mosque in Lahore yesterday. Pakistan media praised her ‘eastern elegance’ as she donned a stylist turquoise headscarf
British High Commission officials sprung into action last night to find the couple a hotel room, along with their entourage, security team and around fifty journalists – almost 100 rooms in all.
William and Kate waited for an hour at the airport before being whisked away in a convoy to stay at the nearby Pearl Continental Hotel, where they were taken in a private entrance straight to their rooms.
Meanwhile royal aides and diplomats hurriedly re-arranged the couple’s schedule, reluctantly cancelling an important visit to a Pakistani military post on the Afghan border and a helicopter flight over the famous Khyber pass, which hadn’t been been revealed in advance for security reasons.
Instead William and Kate undertook a private engagement in Lahore the following morning, surprising fellow hotel guests as they walked through the lobby to their waiting car.
The media have only been now been able to report the fact they they had stayed in Lahore overnight for security reasons. Royal officials wanted to ensure the couple safely made their way back to Islamabad first.
They finally boarded their plane again just before noon and made the half hour journey back to the Pakistani capital.
They will undertake a short engagement in Islamabad later today before flying back to the UK following their hugely successful five-day official trip on behalf of the British Government.
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, 37, 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.
He even came down the plane to check that everyone was fine following the hair-raising flight.
‘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.
The mid-air drama occurred yesterday evening as their RAF Voyager plane attempted to land in the capital Islamabad.
In all the airbus was in the air for more than two hours in total, either circling or trying to land through the ‘serious storm’, with passengers describing the flight as a ‘rollercoaster’.
‘It’s the worse turbulence I have ever encountered,’ said one of the experience, which saw passengers lifted off their seats and others experience severe nausea.
William, who went to check on travelling media, made a reference to his time as an air ambulance pilot, joking: ‘I was flying!’
One passenger said it was a ‘pretty serious storm’, describing the flight as a ‘rollercoaster’.
Another said: ‘It was pretty hairy at times.
‘The plane was making large jerking movements as we tried to battle through the wind. It was a relief to land safely in Lahore.’
Lightening could be seen flashing violently around the right-side of the plane as the pilot did his best to land both at the main international airport in Islamabad and then the Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan, Rawalpindi.
But in the end he was forced to announce that the aircraft would be returning to its departure airport to refuel and allow senior High Commission staff, police and royal aides what step to take next.
After landing, William, who asked travelling media how the were feeling and even joked: ‘I was flying!’ The duke is a former air ambulance pilot.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been flying around Pakistan each day on the British Government’s official Voyager aircraft, courtesy of the Royal Air Force.
Frightening footage filmed on board Prince William and Kate Middleton’s RAF Voyager plane shows it shaking and bouncing in a fierce thunderstorm over Pakistan that forced the pilot to abandon his landing
Rod Ardehali for MailOnline and Rebecca English for the Daily Mail
Frightening footage recorded on board the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s RAF Voyager plane last night captures it shuddering and bouncing during a fierce thunderstorm over Pakistan.
The aircraft, carrying Prince William and Kate Middleton, had to abandon its landing in Islamabad and return to Lahore due to horrendous storms.
Footage shows passengers on board the flight nervously laughing and holding onto the headrests in front for support as the plane rolled violently in the storm.
Prince William took the mid-air drama in his stride however – walking down the Airbus A330 to check if everyone on board was OK – and even joking that the turbulence made him ‘spill his vodka and tonic at one point.’
An RAF Voyager plane sits on the tarmac at Lahore Airport last night after the plane had to be diverted back to Lahore after storms in Islamabad prevented the plane from landing
Footage shows passengers on board yesterday’s flight nervously laughing and holding onto the headrests in front for support as the plane shook violently in the storm
Passengers filmed dramatic flashing through the windows over the skies of Pakistan last night – creating dangerous conditions for flying
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during a visit to Badshahi Mosque in Lahore yesterday, where Kate was praised by Pakistani media for ‘channeling eastern elegance’
The pilot had tried to land twice at two different airports amid significant lightning and turbulence, but was forced to go back to Lahore Airport for safety reasons.
Nick Dixon, a reporter for Good Morning Britain who was on-board, said: ‘We unfortunately flew into horrendous weather.
‘There was violent thunder and lightning, it was bumping and rolling outside. It was pretty horrendous to be honest.
‘When we did land, Prince William came rushing back to check we were okay. As a pilot he clearly felt fine but joked the turbulence made him spill his vodka and tonic.’
The RAF Voyager was in the air for more than two hours, with one passenger saying it was a ‘pretty serious storm’, describing the flight as a ‘rollercoaster’.
‘The pilot circled for an hour but the lightening – and turbulence – was so bad we had to fly back,’ tweeted the Daily Mail’s royal correspondent Rebecca English, who was on board the plane.
‘Few of us have experienced turbulence as bad as that,’ she added.
Royal correspondent Rebecca English, who was travelling on the plane with other members of the press, described the experience – saying ‘few of us have experienced turbulence as bad as that’
‘If I’m honest … that was the most nervous I’ve ever felt in a plane,’ added ITV royal correspondent Chris Ship.
Daily Telegraph correspondent Ben Farmer said the pilot had tried to land twice, once at a military base in the garrison city of Rawalpindi adjacent to Islamabad, and once at Islamabad International before abandoning the attempt and returning to Lahore, some 270 kilometres (170 miles) flying distance away.
The flight from Lahore to Islamabad following a day of visits to a mosque, cancer hospital, cricket academy and children’s home was only meant to take 30 minutes.
But the plane was ten minutes from landing when it encountered significant storms, with passengers filming dramatic flashing through the windows.
The Voyager then circled for an hour before trying to land at two airports – the main airport in Islamabad and then the Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan, Rawalpindi.
This graphic shows a band of thunderstorms over Pakistan and its bordering countries yesterday
Prince William and Kate are pictured getting off the plane at Lahore Airport yesterday because their uncomfortable ordeal
However, the turbulence became too much for the plane to land, with passengers being lifted off their seats and left feeling extremely travel sick.
William, who asked travelling media if they were OK following the landing back at Lahore, joked: ‘I was flying!’ The duke is a former air ambulance pilot.
The plane was left sitting on the runway at Lahore last night, as officials wait to see if they will try again if the weather improves, or go to an emergency backup plan.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been flying around Pakistan each day on the British Government’s official Voyager aircraft, courtesy of the Royal Air Force.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been flying around Pakistan each day on the British Government’s official Voyager aircraft, courtesy of the Royal Air Force. They are pictured during a visit to Badshahi Mosque in Lahore yesterday
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s RAF Voyager is seen at Islamabad Airport on Monday
The Airbus A330, pictured on Monday night, has 58 business-class seats and 100 economy
The couple arrived in Islamabad on Monday evening at Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan, Rawalpindi, before flying to Chitral on Wednesday and Lahore today.
The Airbus A330 plane can in civilian configuration carry 335 passengers, although it is instead fitted with 58 business-class seats and 100 economy seats.
The plane was first unveiled in July 2016 when David Cameron was prime minister and nicknamed ‘Cam Force One’ after America’s presidential jet.
he aircraft is based at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and was refitted for £10million to provide transport for ministers and members of the Royal Family.