While collective Brexit chaos prevails in the UK, overseas travel by members of the royal family usually acts as a sedative to the British public. Whether this is so, but should be questionable - because Prince William and Duchess Kate are on delicate mission in Asia.
The couple has embarked on a five-day trip to Pakistan, landing on Monday in the state capital of Islamabad. The flying visit is intended to help improve relations between Britain and the South Asian state, as stated in an official statement.
In terms of logistics and security, it is the couple's most elaborate journey so far, the palace in London said. For security reasons, the itinerary is largely kept under wraps, details are to be announced only on a daily basis. During the visit, more than a thousand police officers are to ensure the safety of the couple. Not included are their children George, Charlotte and Louis.
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Kate and William in Pakistan: Royal secret trip without childrenDespite the secrecy of the rough features of the trip are known: Islamabad and the metropolis Lahore are on the program as well as the mountainous regions in the north and the barren border areas in the west of the country. Overall, Kate and William are more than a thousand miles cover. Initially, talks with Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi are planned, the Pakistani authorities said.
In their travels, the royals want to "meet as many Pakistanis as possible," the statement said. They are therefore particularly interested in the question of how people deal with the climate crisis and the difficult security situation - as well as the issue of education for girls and young women. Among the first stations of the two was on Tuesday a girls' school in Islamabad.
With the journey William walks in the footsteps of his parents: Most recently visited his father Prince Charles with his wife Duchess Camilla 2006 Pakistan. His mother, Princess Diana, had visited the Islamic country several times for her charitable work.
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The visit of the royal couple comes at a politically strained time: In early August, India had deprived Pakistani Kashmir of autonomy and thereby increased tensions in relation to the neighboring country abruptly. Since then skirmishes in the border region of the two nuclear powers (read more about the topic).
Pakistan and Britain share a colonial past. The country founded in 1947, with today almost 200 million inhabitants, emerged from the colony of British India. In the second half of the 20th century, many Pakistanis emigrated to Britain. There they form today the second largest ethnic minority - after the immigrants from India.
