The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton, on the fourth day of their tour of Pakistan arrived in Lahore.
Upon arrival in the provincial capital, the royal couple was warmly received by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Governor Chaudhry Sarwar at the Allama Iqbal International Airport.
The royal visit comes 13 years since Prince Charles and his wife Camilla – the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwell – toured the country in 2006. Pakistan still vividly remembers the late Princess Diana’s visit in 1996.
Their itinerary for the day-long trip includes visits to the SOS Children’s Village, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, the National Cricket Academy and the Badshahi Mosque. The historic Badshahi Mosque was built by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir in 1673.
The duchess is also expected to deliver her first address in Pakistan today.
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.
Prince William and Kate Middleton will hold separate meetings with Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar and CM Buzdar during their visit.
On Wednesday, Prince William and his wife Kate flew near the Afghan border to visit a remote Hindu Kush glacier, after a morning spent trying on feathered traditional caps and luxurious shawls in Pakistan s mountainous north.
The British royals travelled by helicopter to a glacier in Broghil Valley National Park to see the effects of climate change in one of the most glaciated areas of the world.
Residents of the region have been sounding the alarm over its melting glaciers, which caused devastating floods in 2015 that left thousands of families camping in the open just as another cold winter approached.