The royal couple, Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, announced their official visit to Pakistan back in June 2019. According to a news report, the trip was requested by the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The royal couple’s trip to Pakistan officially kicked off on Monday, 14th October, with their arrival, and will continue for the next five days, ending on 18th October. The five-day tour is aimed at deepening the already-friendly relations between the two countries, but Pakistan stands to gain and benefit more from this tour in more than one way.
Before we talk about the global impact of this visit, here’s how the royal couple has spent their time so far in Pakistan!
Highlights from the Royal Couple’s Trip to Pakistan
Even on their very first visit to Pakistan, the royal couple has started to learn the ways of Pakistan by making a grand entrance at a reception in a beautifully painted rickshaw. The Princess wore a sparkling emerald dress with glittering traditional earrings, while the Prince accompanied her donning a traditional sherwani.
The reception was organised on a special request by the royalty as their way to meet business people, artists, musicians, and celebrities from the Pakistani industry, as well as diplomats and several public figures. The Duke addressed the attendees of the event and described the bonds between the two countries by using words such as “key partner and friend”. As he said and we quote, “We share unique bonds and so it will always be in our best interest for Pakistan to succeed. You can always rely on the UK to keep playing an important role as a key partner and friend.”
Image Credits: Facebook/ Imran Khan Official
The first day of the royal couple’s trip also included a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan and a visit to two state-funded educational institutions.
Following their planned visit, the Duke and the Duchess landed in Chitral on Wednesday, 16th October. The royal couple amazed the crowd by rocking the traditional Chitrali outfits and hats. The couple also visited some nearby villages, specifically Broghill, Bombarat, and some nearby Kalash areas to learn more about the community, culture, heritage, and lifestyle of the people living there.
Image Credits: Twitter/ PTI Official
On the same day, the couple also visited the Hindu Kash Mountains to witness the devastating effects of climate change.
Moreover, the fourth day of the visit will include a trip to the city of the Gardens and continuing with the traditions made by Prince William’s mother – Lady Diana – the couple will visit Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and Research Centre for charity purposes. But before that, the couple will have a brief meeting with Governor Punjab and the Chief Minister.
Keeping up with the similarities between the two nations, the royal couple has also shown an interest in meeting officials from the Pakistani cricket team at National Cricket Academy.
The royalty also plans to end their visit by exploring some historical zones of the city, including the iconic Badshahi Mosque.
The visit is no less than a blessing for the country’s economy and tourism. Here’s what we can expect to happen in the future from the royal couple’s trip to Pakistan!
Possible Positive Turnover of the Royal Couple’s Trip to Pakistan
The royal couple, when planning their trip to the country, had certain things in their mind to explore, incorporate, and deepen the historical connections between England and Pakistan. The couple wishes to indulge with as many locals as they can and get to know Pakistan closely by personally visiting schools and other such institutions that cater to the young generation. While stating the royal couple’s core purpose of the visit, the spokesman said that it was “to meet as many Pakistanis as possible… including children and young people, leaders from government, business and the charity sector, inspiring conservationists, and well-known cultural figures and sporting stars.”
Image Credits: Facebook/ The Royal Family
So, here’s a list of a few more things that the royal couple’s visit will help and empower in Pakistan:
Educational Programmes
Image Credits: Facebook/ The Royal Family
As mentioned earlier, the royal couple wishes to meet as many youngsters as they can, and they mainly want to engage more educational institutions in dialogue and help them develop better academic programmes. The Duke and Duchess have planned to personally optimise the programmes and support the organisations in the country that empower the young generation, especially women. The Duchess particularly mentioned that easy access to quality education for young women is one of the top priorities of the two countries. Which explains their visit and engagement with local schools and colleges in Islamabad.
Increase in Environment-Friendly Programmes
Following the educational programmes, the royal couple also aims to educate the young generation about environmental and climate change. According to Kensington Palace, “they took part in activities designed to educate young people on environmental protection and wildlife conservation.”
Now, it is quite certain that the royal visitors are trendsetters for many states, and when they are showing such great interest in shaping and preserving the environment, many of us will follow their lead.
Increase in Tourism
Although the royal couple’s visit to Pakistan is highly regarded as a symbol of paying respect to the historical relations between Great Britain and Pakistan, it will also focus on boosting tourism in Pakistan. Since the visit is focused on highlighting Pakistan’s positive image to the world – the royal couple has planned their visit to include some of the most beautiful parts of the country. The tour consists of exploring the Green capital – Islamabad, the city of culture – Lahore, and the mountainous towns in the north. The visit comprises over 1,000 km of travel and aims to showcase Pakistan’s extravagant and welcoming culture, it’s peaceful and diverse communities and their lifestyle, and the beautiful skyline of the country.
The Sun Never Sets on Friendship!
As a matter of fact, Pakistan hosts one of Britain’s largest overseas networks in association with the British High Commission based in Islamabad, which is also one of England’s most important embassy networks in the world. Overall, the links between the two countries are beyond words, and the royal family is aiming to strengthen that great bond, not only between the government and political figures but between ordinary people as well.
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Image Credits: Cover Image is sourced from the official twitter of PTI
