Salahuddin Haider
LIKE her mother in law, princess Dianna, fondly remembered as “queen of hearts” after her death in road accident, The Duchess of Cambridge, Princess Kate William Middleton, on a maiden tour to Pakistan with her husband Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, left a lasting and very positive impression on Pakistanis, background interviews and inter-action with normal public representatives revealed. From the moment, they stepped onto Pakistani soil on the night of Oct 14, to the last day of their visit to Lahore, the young couple was focus of attraction for fans and media, both within Pakistan and her own country England.
Daily Mail, The Times, Telegraph, Guardian, drew comparisons with those worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, on outfits chosen by the Princess. Some say Kate’s putting a modern twist on clothes worn by her husband William’s mother during trips to Pakistan in the 1990s. On day two of the visit Kate’s dress bore a striking resemblance to the blue floral pattern outfit Diana wore when she met young cancer patients in a Lahore hospital in May 1997. On social media many have praised the Duchess for her style choices – and women were seen sharing photos of their blue dresses. But the designer behind some of the outfits.
Shalwar and kameez, all the time and picked to suit the occasion, says any similarity with what Diana wore is just a coincidence. ”As far as my designs for the Duchess are concerned, I didn’t have any particular idea or colour in mind,” Maheen Khan told BBC Urdu. An English designer Katherine Walker too was involved in picking her attire keeping in view the Pakistani culture and inspiration it deserved or was bound to draw. “I understood that she needed something simple, classical because she’s fond of elegance.” She said she thought blue would “blend” with Kate’s fair complexion.”I chose periwinkle blue – it’s a beautiful blue. And I thought the Duchess’s dress should reflect our Pakistani culture.” So Ms Khan kept that in mind, and retained “the Pakistani silhouette like kurta, trousers and dupatta”, which became instantly attractive.
Her dress, a flowing maxi, and Prince William’s choice of sherwani, and their decision to be at the venue for the banquet from British High Commissioner John Drew, in a specially decorated rickshaw impressed the general public most. The fact that she chose to be in green shalwar, Kameez and cover her head with a similar colour dopatta to show respect to the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, was indeed laudable. She appeared deeply conscious that mosques were a place of worship and held special value for a country with 95 percent Muslim population. Green is also colour of Pakistan’s national flag, which should
The mother-of-three completed her mesmerising outfit on the first full day of their five-day visit with a pair of £23.99 nude shoes from New Look, which feature a block heel, ankle strap and pointed toe. It bears a striking resemblance to the light blue floral pattern outfit the Princess of Wales wore when she met young cancer patients at the Imran Khan Shaukat Khanum memorial hospital in Lahore in May 1997.