It’s now no secret that the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton’s wardrobe choices on her trip to Pakistan are inspired by Princess Diana’s looks from her trips to Pakistan during the 90s; the streak continued as Kate made her way to Chitral this morning. As the royal tour continues, the Diana connection does too.
As the royal couple made their way to Chitral this morning, Kate opted out of the ethnic attire she has been sporting on her trip and was seen in a long skirt, boots and very Autumn chic look for her trip up north. What caught our eye was the traditional Chitrali cap, pakhol, embellished with green peacock feathers, very similar to what Diana wore when she visited the area in 1991.
This traditional woollen Chitrali cap, often gifted to delegates, is the official cap of the Chitral Scouts Regiment of the Pakistan Army, and was also offered as a gift to Diana. It’s a variation of the traditional pakhol, which is also known as the Chitrali cap. The main production hub of pakhol is Chitral, however the cap is said to originate from somewhere in Afghanistan. It is often considered as an old and traditional Pashtuni version of a beret. Pakhol is famous in the KPK region of Pakistan and is often presented to tourists as a souvenir of Chitrali culture.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge touched down at the PAF Nur Khan base, Chaklala on Monday night and officially started their royal tour from the next day. The royal couple’s visit to Pakistan aims to strengthen the ties between the two countries. Kate and William fly back home on Friday, wrapping up their first official tour to Pakistan.
