Senior members of the royal family are known for their reticence when it comes to displaying affection in public, but there was no doubting the tenderness between Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall as the first-in-line took his wife's hand in Kashmir on Tuesday.
The couple, who are making their first visit to Pakistan, were flown by helicopter into the region devastated by last year’s earthquake to meet aid workers and witness the ongoing relief efforts there. It was while crossing the rocky terrain in the village of Pattika, where locals were clearly excited by their high-profile visitors, that the Prince reached out a supportive hand to his wife.
Banners and bunting had been strung up in honour of the royal visit which must have warmed Camilla, despite some the welcome messages, one of which called her Princess of Wales - a title she chooses not to use - and another dubbing her Lady Kamila Parker.
The Duchess, who like her husband wore white, was clearly moved as she toured the devastated region. "It's such a beautiful place," she said. "It's so terrible what happened here. When you see it on television you have no idea… It's staggering how people managed to survive."
Next day, the pair took in the sights of Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural capital, where they visited the magnificent Badshai Mosque, the world’s largest Islamic house of worship. According to tradition, a barefoot Camilla respectfully covered her head with a scarf and wore a long flowing tunic coat over her trousers.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
