Kate Middleton Wears Same Hat Diana Wore as She and Prince William Head to Pakistan Mountains

Prince William and Kate Middleton are kicking off day three of their royal tour in Pakistan with a trip to the mountains.

The royal couple’s outing on Wednesday is part of their desire to see the effect that climate change and global warming are having on the local communities in the northern region of the country.

Upon arrival, the royals were presented with traditional Chitrali hats as they landed in Chitral the Hindu Khush, near the Afghan border. Kate sported her traditional hat with a warm shawl and colorful embroidered jacket she was also given, which she placed over her leather vest, brown shirt and belted skirt. William, who was given a long white embossed coat, placed his new accessory over his green button-down and slacks.

For William, the visit had another poignant meaning as his late mother Princess Diana visited Chitral during her first solo visit to Pakistan in 1991. Diana was also given a Chitrali hat during her visit, very similar to the same traditional-style cap Kate wore during the Wednesday event.

Pictured against the backdrop of mountains and a dazzling blue sky, Kate was handed the bright white hat with a feather and badge at the front as she and her husband arrived in the mountains of the north of the country.

The royal pair were also delighted to be shown a book of pictures of Diana from when she visited the mountainous northern area in 1991. “Ha, ha, ha! The same hat!” William said when flicking through the pages commemorating her visit. “Very special,” Kate added.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were given the gifts at an official welcome to the area of Chitral, in northern Pakistan, where they are spending the day highlighting environmental concerns.

Men usually wear the Chitrali hats but Princess Kate was handed one as she is an esteemed, VIP visitor — like Diana was during her visit.

The gift-giving took place as the royals headed to Chiatibo Glacier in Broghil National Park, situated in the Chitral District of Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province.

Their briefing on glacial melting, climate change and its causes and implications was presented by Pakistani hydrometeorological and glacier expert Dr. Furrukh Bashir of the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

William and Kate, who arrived in Pakistan on Monday evening, then walked on the northern tip of a glacier in the Hindu Kush mountain range — a stark example of the climate change crisis affecting the area. The royals could see how the glacier has retreated in recent years as a result of global warming. Through their visit to the glacier, the pair hopes to shine a light on the “very real consequences of global warming, and its devastating effects on our planet,” their spokesman says.

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The pair saw a number of “inspiring community-led initiatives that aim to equip the local society with the tools they need to adjust to the changing landscape and weather patterns in the area,” the palace adds.

After their visit to the glacier, the royal parents, who left their three kids home in London, headed into a village in a valley in Chitral, which has been hit by flash flooding in recent years. During their visit, they witnessed how farmlands have been destroyed by glacier melting. They were also able to hear from locals about how they are changing their way of life.

In a speech at a cultural reception on Monday night, William covered issues including education for girls and climate change, urging Britain and Pakistan to continue to work together.

“Whether in Pakistan or the U.K. or elsewhere on our planet – we face shared global challenges. The effects of climate change threaten the present and the future – and therefore demand a concerted effort by everyone,” he said.

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During their outing on Wednesday, they also saw emergency response drills from a local team which is supported by U.K. aid.

Later, in a settlement of the local Kalash people, William and Kate, both 37, will join some children and young people from the tribe in the village square.

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