LONDON/ISLAMABAD: The UK media Tuesday splashed images of the traditional attire worn by Kate Middleton during her maiden official tour of Pakistan with husband Prince William.
The 37-year-old Duchess of Cambridge was praised for evoking memories of her late mother-in-law Princess Diana with her choice of kurtas, similar to ones worn by Diana during her last visit to Pakistan in 1997 months before she was killed in a tragic car accident in Paris.
The royal couple arrived in style on a colourful decorated rickshaw for a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner for Pakistan on the royal couple’s visit to the country.
Kate wore a glittering emerald dress by Jenny Packham, while William wore a similar-coloured sherwani by Karachi-based designer Naushemian.
William and Kate touched down at an airbase outside Islamabad on Monday at the start of their five-day visit as part of an official tour to strength UK-Pakistan ties on the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
It marks the first visit to Pakistan by members of the British royal family since 2006.
Kate chose a light blue Catherine Walker dress matched with salwar-style trousers and a flaring cut to give it the look of a churidar-kurta as she stepped off the plane to be greeted by Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
During a visit to a girls’ school in Islamabad on Tuesday, she chose a royal blue salwar-kameez by Pakistani designer Maher Khan and matched it with a dupatta.
Later, for a meeting with Pakistan President Arif Alvi alongside Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Duchess of Cambridge chose an emerald green tunic-dress combined with cream trousers and a green dupatta.
According to a Daily Telegraph’ report from Islamabad, fashion watchers said the Duchess’ choice of dress appeared to show she would use her wardrobe to highlight ties between the two countries.
British designer Catherine Walker first designed maternity dresses for Princess Diana when she was expecting Prince William, and in 1991 helped her make a diplomatic fashion statement when she created a pale pink sarong-style gown for a reception in Lahore.
The fashion house has been run Catherine Walker’s widower, Said Cyrus, since her death in 2010.
William spoke poignantly about his mother, Diana, after being told girls at the Islamabad school they visited were “big fans” to which he replied: “I was a big fan of my mother too”.
Diana Princess of Wales, the former wife of Prince Charles, was close friends with Khan’s ex-wife Jemima and her mother Annabel Goldsmith, who was a mother figure to her.
According to reports, Khan famously told an 11-year-old William that he would be Pakistan’s Prime Minister one day during his first-ever meeting with him.
More than 1,000 Pakistani police are believed to be deployed to watch over the royal couple in the coming days.
The couple have said they are keen to meet a wide variety of people, including children and young people, leaders from government, business and the charity sector, inspiring conservationists, and well-known cultural figures and sporting stars during their tour of Pakistan.
“This is the most complex tour undertaken by the Duke and Duchess to date, given the logistical and security considerations,” Kensington Palace had said in a statement related to the visit.
“Their Royal Highnesses will also spend time understanding the complex security picture in Pakistan. They will learn more about the challenges and opportunities, both of the past and today. The UK has been a key partner for Pakistan, and the Duke and Duchess will meet UK and Pakistan military personnel who are sharing expertise to improve security,” it added. PTI
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