Prince William and Duchess Kate arrive in Pakistan for their 'most complex tour' ever

Prince William and Duchess Kate of Cambridge arrived in Pakistan late Monday for a five-day official visit described as their "most complex" ever due to major logistical and security issues in a diplomatically touchy region.

They did not take their three children, Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, or Prince Louis, 1, with them. 

The couple landed at a Pakistani air force base in Rawalpindi just before 10 p.m. local time, according to video posted on Twitter.

Kate was wearing a traditional shalwar kameez, an ombré turquoise dress and pants by Catherine Walker, plus cream-colored high heels.  

This is the couple's first visit to Pakistan, made at the request of the British government. Among others, they will meet with Prime Minister Imran Khan, the former cricket superstar-turned-politician who was a friend of Will's late mother, Princess Diana. 

"This is the most complex tour undertaken by (the duke and duchess) to date, given the logistical and security considerations," according to a Kensington Palace statement issued in advance of the trip. "Pakistan hosts one of Britain’s largest overseas networks, with the British High Commission in Islamabad being one of the United Kingdom's largest diplomatic missions in the world."

Indeed, the young royals, both 37, are arriving in a part of the world already on edge due to soaring tensions in the long-tense relationship between India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed countries. A scientific study released Oct. 2 concluded that as many as 125 million people would die within days if India and Pakistan waged a nuclear war.

The Cambridge visit is intended to "pay respect to the historical relationship" between Britain and Pakistan, a Muslim country that used to be part of the British Empire with India, and from which more than 1 million British citizens today trace their ancestry. 

"The Duke and Duchess's program...will largely focus on showcasing Pakistan as it is today – a dynamic, aspirational and forward-looking nation," the palace statement said.

"From the modern, leafy capital Islamabad, to the vibrant city of Lahore, the mountainous countryside in the north, and the rugged border regions to the west, the visit will span over (620 miles), and will take in Pakistan’s rich culture, its diverse communities, and its beautiful landscapes."

Will and Kate are embarking on this tour at a moment when public esteem for them is high in Britain, in contrast to the woes experienced in recent months by Prince Harry and his biracial American wife, Duchess Meghan of Sussex, who just returned from a 10-day tour of southern Africa with their baby, Archie.

The Sussex trip was a big success, helping to ameliorate the mockery and criticism of them in the British tabloids for allegedly being too obsessed with privacy, too heedless of royal protocol, too extravagant in their spending, and hypocritical for taking private jets while warning against climate change.

But the good vibes of the trip were overtaken before it ended by the bitter fallout from their decision to file lawsuits against specific tabloid publications alleging invasion of privacy, copyright infringement and phone hacking.

It didn't help that Harry issued an overwrought statement attacking the tabloids for "malicious," "ruthless" and "relentless propaganda" coverage of Meghan, whose "suffering" he compared to that endured by Princess Diana before she died in a Paris car crash in 1997. 

None of that has been a problem for the Duchess of Cambridge, the English-born former Kate Middleton, who has been treated to generally positive media coverage since she married Will in 2011, and is widely admired.  

As with the Sussex tour, when Harry walked in Diana's footsteps in Angola to pay tribute to her anti-landmine campaign there in 1997, the Cambridges will be visiting a country that was special to Diana, who made three visits there in the 1990s. In fact, Pakistan was the destination of her first official solo royal trip, in 1991.

She also made a private two-day visit to Lahore in 1996 to see her friends, Khan and his then-wife, Jemima Goldsmith, and in 1997 to open a cancer hospital with the Khans.   

At least one Pakistani on Twitter spotted some interest in the royal visit. 

"Looks like Pakistan is ready for #RoyalVisitPakistan Spotted this in #Rawalpindi a few hours ago," posted Shahrukh over a picture of a neon-lit sign with the Pakistani and British flags. 

At the time the Cambridge trip was announced in June, the High Commissioner for Pakistan to the United Kingdom, Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, said Pakistanis will "warmly welcome" the royal couple, noting that people there still fondly recall the visits of William's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1961 and 1997. 

“The upcoming royal visit is a reflection of the importance the United Kingdom attaches to its relations with Pakistan," Zakaria said. "The two countries enjoy historical links which both sides wish to strengthen further.”

Will and Kate have been carefully preparing for the trip. Two weeks ago, they went to a special event hosted by Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, at his Aga Khan Centre in London, to get a taste of modern Pakistani culture and to meet a range of Pakistanis in Britain, including musicians, chefs and artists within the Pakistani diaspora community. 

Ever attuned to the sensibilities of her hosts, Kate wore a flowing floor-length emerald green silk dress (the Pakistani flag is green with a white crescent moon and star in the center) by ARoss Girl x Soler.

The overarching themes of the Pakistan trip in some ways echo those of the Sussex Africa tour: Access to quality education, empowerment for girls and young women, conservation, and communities' efforts to respond and adapt to climate change.

They also will spend time exploring the complex security picture in Pakistan, meeting with British and Pakistan military personnel who are sharing expertise to improve security.

As usual with their previous overseas visits (all of which were smashing successes), Will and Kate want to meet as many Pakistanis as possible, including children and youths, government and business leaders, charity activists, conservationists, and famous cultural figures and sports stars.

"The U.K.’s links with Pakistan are extensive, and Their Royal Highnesses are looking forward to building a lasting friendship with the people of Pakistan," the Kensington Palace statement said.