Photo: Getty
- The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are set to undertake the royal family’s first visit to Pakistan in 13 years, following in the footsteps of Princess Diana.
According to Kensington Palace, the royal couple will make the trip this autumn at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The historic visit will mark the first official tour by a British royal since 2006, when Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall famously traveled to the country.
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The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Charles visited Pakistan in November 2006. Photo: Getty
The Queen attends a state banquet during her 16-day tour of Pakistan in February, 1961. Photo: Getty
Previously, the Queen visited in 1961 and 1997 while Princess Diana traveled there on a solo trip back in 1991.
Princess Diana visited a school in Pakistan during a visit back in 1991. Photo: Getty
In light of the announcement, the High Commissioner for Pakistan, Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, said: “The government and the people of Pakistan warmly welcome the announcement of the royal visit by Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Pakistan this year.”
“The people of Pakistan still cherish and fondly recall the visits of Her Majesty The Queen to Pakistan during 1961 and 1997,” he continued. “The upcoming royal visit is a reflection of the importance the United Kingdom attaches to its relations with Pakistan. The two countries enjoy historical links which both sides wish to strengthen further.”
The couple’s three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, will not join their parents on the forthcoming trip.
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have not embarked on a royal tour together for 18 months, as they welcomed their third child, Prince Louis, last year.
Though it’s not the only tour set to take place this autumn, as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently announced that they will visit South Africa with newborn son, Archie – their first official trip as a family-of-three.
This article originally appeared on Harper’s BAZAAR UK.
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