After the morning’s itinerary – and a costume change – the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge carried out two more engagements to a mosque and a children’s hospital. The second carries some significance in that it’s the same children’s hospital visited by William’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, when she was in Pakistan in 1996.
But first the mosque – the two visited the Badshahi Mosque within the Walled City for a tour and a discussion with faith leaders on how they are promoting religious harmony in their community.
It’s a topic actually closely associated with William’s father, the Prince of Wales, who some believe may shift the position of Head of the Church of England when he ascends the throne to one that better reflects the UK’s religious diversity.
Royal reporter Rebecca English shared a video of the couple within the mosque which gives a good sense of the ambiance:
And the couple listen to Quranic prayer pic.twitter.com/RvvaAU3bpU
— Rebecca English (@RE_DailyMail) October 17, 2019
And the photos give a good sense of the scale of mosque itself – it’s massive! I have a feeling these images will become some of the more iconic from the tour.
The mosque has been visited by both of William’s parents in years past – Diana in 1991 and Charles in 2006 with the Duchess of Cornwall. The second marked the last time members of the British Royal Family have entered Pakistan in any official capacity.
The children’s hospital opened in 1994 and Diana’s visit in February 1996 was a private one focused on raising funding, as well as meeting with friends in a personal capacity. In fact, she had been advised not to make the trip due to then-ongoing tension between the UK and Pakistan, underlining the significance of the Cambridges visiting on the Queen’s behalf now.
William and Kate were given a tour of the facility and met with patients, family members, and staff. Personally, I love Kate wearing the plastic tiara – apparently they wanted her to full-on princess, which I appreciate 🙂
The Duchess chose yet another Maheen Khan kameez for these final engagements, this one in teal with gold embellishments and a matching head scarf for the mosque. I will call this yet another win for the book, and my God, what a great week for Maheen Khan!
Tomorrow the couple will make a formal departure from Pakistan to fly back to London. It’s unclear whether they’ll carry out any engagements beforehand, so keep an eye out.