The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have made a visit to the Badshahi Mosque in scenes that brought back memories of the duke’s late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
William and Kate were given a tour of the holy site in Lahore on the fourth day of their royal tour of Pakistan.
Kate wore an emerald green headscarf with a gold trim and a matching shalwar kameez by Maheen Khan during the couple’s visit to the second-largest mosque in Pakistan.
Walking in with Imam Abdul Kabir Azad and the Honorary Consul to the UK Fakir Aijazuddin, the duchess had bare feet, while the duke wore black socks with his cream linen suit.
The late Diana visited the religious site in 1991, on one of her visits to the Islamic country.
It was also included in the 2006 royal tour of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.
William and Kate walked on a red carpet through the holy building with the imam before being given a tour of the inside, where they heard a Koranic verse.
The couple were invited to sit down cross-legged after being introduced to a group of scholars and religious leaders, who were sitting on cushions, for a discussion on promoting interfaith harmony among communities.
Among the group was Dr Ayesha Leghari, a Sunni Muslim scholar, who explained the verse to them.
“I was telling then how it is compulsory for us to respect other religions,” Dr Leghari told reporters afterwards.
“God sent a messenger to every part of the globe and peace is to be attained through the process of growth.
“(William and Kate) were interested in finding out about how the youth thought about interfaith interactions.”
She added that the couple were “charming” and interested and engaged in the discussion.
When William and Kate left the mosque, they were told by Mr Aijazuddin: “If there’s one word to describe your visit, it is joy. You have radiated joy wherever you have been.”
The duke replied: “We are very happy people.”
Wrapping up their fourth and penultimate day, the couple are to travel to the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre.
The cancer facility is another location previously visited by the late Diana, as a guest of her friend Imran Khan, the former cricketer who is now prime minister of Pakistan.
Earlier on Thursday, the couple both took turns at the crease in a game of cricket at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
The competitive couple both spent some time at the wicket before high-fiving the young boys and girls they had been playing with.
They joined children participating in the British Council’s Dosti programme and were introduced to a number of cricketing figures at the ground, including Waqar Younis, former fast bowler for Pakistan.
Their first stop on the fourth day of their tour was a trip to the SOS Children’s Village, where they attended a birthday party.
The duchess made her first speech of the week at the charitable organisation, which provides a home for some 150 orphaned young boys and girls.
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