The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be embarking on their Official Visit to Pakistan tomorrow, described as “the most complex tour undertaken by The Duke and Duchess to date, given the logistical and security considerations”, so we are taking a look at the previous Royal Visits to Pakistan. At the time of her succession in 1952, the Queen was became the Sovereign of the then Dominion of Pakistan, which she remained until 1956, when the country became a Republic, and unlike other Commonwealth Countries, it has only received a handful of Royal visits in the 72 years since Independence. As a Pakistani Royal Commentator, I’m really excited about this visit and how it celebrate the deep links between the UK and Pakistan.
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Earlier British Royal visits to the territories now a part of Pakistan, then known as British India, include notable visits from the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) in 1875, the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1905-06, King George V and Queen Mary in 1911, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VIII) in 1920, and visits from the last Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, a member of the extended Royal Family, who granted Independence to the nation on behalf of the King in 1947.
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The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh first visited Pakistan on their massive tour of South Asia in 1961, visiting the cities of Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore, and Dhaka. Click HERE to learn more about the visit. She also hosted the President on a Return Visit in 1966.
The Princess Royal visited Pakistan on an official visit in 1986, visiting an Afghan refugee camp and meeting tribal leaders at the Khyber Pass.
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The Princess of Wales undertook an official visit (her first solo one) to Pakistan in 1991, HERE, returning in 1996 and 1997 in connection with the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital, built by her friend, the current Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, HERE.
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The Queen and Duke undertook another State Visit to Pakistan in 1997, months after the death of the Princess, during which they visited Islamabad and Lahore, more HERE.
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The most recent Royal Visit to Pakistan was in 2006, when the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visited the country on an Official Visit, and to learn about the devastating impacts of the 2005 Hurricane.
