When it comes to jam-packed Royal tours, meticulous scheduling, planned months in advance, is everything.
But the Duke andDuchess of Cambridgeripped up the timetable for their high-profilePakistantour – to visit the home of a family they met by the side of the road.
Kate and William spotted the villagers as the Royal convoy was threading its way through the remote Wakhan region as they traveled back from visiting a glacier in the Hindu Kush mountain range.
Enthralled, the Duchess asked the car they were traveling in to stop so she and William could meet the villagers – and one family promptly invited them to visit their home, a simple hut .
The Duchess of Cambridge applauds while playing cricket Friday during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore in Pakistan
Warm welcome: Kate and William were invited into the home of a family they had just met by the roadside
The Duchess of Cambridge plays cricket Friday during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore in Pakistan
Duchess of Cambridge talks to two young girls during a visit to the SOS Village on Saturday
The Duchess of Cambridge joins in a drawing session during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore in Pakistan
Duke of Cambridge (pictured) joined in a game of cricket during the visit, where he played alongside a boy who seemed to be enjoying the game
The duchess smiled as she knelt down to talk to one girl during the visit. They met several groups of children during the day
The Duke knelt down and rolled up his sleeves to get involved in the painting session where he watched two of the children creating the work of art
Animated: The Duke of Cambridge raised a hand as he joined in a game of cricket during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore
The five-day tour, which ended on Friday, has been judged a triumph. Despite tight security, the couple were relaxed, joking with dignitaries, locals and the press corps
The Duchess of Cambridge plays cricket Friday during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore in Pakistan
The Duchess of Cambridge concentrated as she hit the ball during the trip on Friday. She even kept her heels on as she got involved in the sport
Despite raised eyebrows from aides and the Pakistani military, who have been helping to guard Kate and William during the tour, the pair entered the one-room home, accompanied only by a translator.
Inside, the family explained to the couple how they live without running water and electricity and are confined to their home for half of the year due to snow and freezing temperatures.
The Duchess – a keen photographer who has taken many official pictures of her children – then borrowed a Fujifilm camera from an aide to take pictures of the grandmother, mother and daughter.
Describing the encounter, the Duchess said: ‘It was fantastic to meet these people living in such a remote place.
‘ They were so hospitable , offering William and me a cup of tea.
‘It was a very special moment. They had no idea who we were, which gave us a chance to see a different side of Pakistan.
‘We really enjoyed the day in the mountains and meeting so many of the local people in the Kalash village, [it was] a real privilege to see a different way of life. ‘
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge play cricket during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posed for a group photograph with the children during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore in Pakistan
The Duke of Cambridge meets young children while playing cricket Friday. The father-of-three put a hand around one of the boys as he smiled away
The duchess smiled as the sun shone down during their trip to the SOS Children’s Village which they had also visited the previous day
Sitting cross-legged on the bare floor, Kate helped children to paint a mural, saying: ‘I do lots of drawing at home with my children’
The Duchess of Cambridge (left) shook hands with one of the girls who came up to greet her as another waited behind for her time to say hello
The Duke led the children in an impromptu game of cricket during the visit to SOS Children’s Village on Friday, near the end of their tour
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge talk to students during a visit to the SOS Village at Lahore
Kate had the children in giggles by feigning pain after being inadvertently hit o n the neck with a foam ball by William, before the prince joked: ‘She’s my wife, so I can just about get away with it’
On Friday morning, the couple again chose to change their schedule, in order to return to an orphanage at the SOS Children’s Village they had visited the previous day, because they felt they had only ‘touched the surface’
Kate smiles as she kneels down to talk to one of the children . SOS Children’s Village is a center for local orphans in the heart of the city which was established in 1977
The Duke of Cambridge receives a bracelet from one of the girls during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village at Lahore in Pakistan
The Duke of Cambridge joins in a painting session during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village
The Duke of Cambridge met two young boys while playing cricket on Friday during the visit. They looked delighted as they took a break from the game of cricket
Left: The Duchess of Cambridge concentrated as she aimed for the ball during the impromptu cricket match. Right: Kate smiled during the visit, where she donned a black and white outfit
Built over 10 acres, the village, which is attached to a school, began with 15 family homes, to which another four have since been added
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge smiled and greeted people as they were guided around the grounds of the village
During the visit when one youngster mentioned England, Kate (pictured left) replied: ‘You’ll have to come and see us’
Two girls dressed in pink and blue stood with the Duchess as they watched the cricket match. They smiled and chatted as the visit went on
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge pose for a group picture during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village at Lahore in Pakistan
The five-day tour, which ended on Friday, has been judged a triumph, with the couple saying it was a ‘really special trip’
The Duchess of Cambridge plays cricket Friday during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village at Lahore in Pakistan. She even had a pink bat for the game
William stands with his hands on his hips as he watches the game of cricket, while the Duchess is seen in the background chatting to a group of women
The Duke rolled his sleeves up as he got on with the game, being bowled to by one of the girls living at the village
The couple watched on and smiled as the children played the cricket game during the visit in Lahore on Friday
Kate wore a stunning black and white outfit for the day out, teaming it with nude heels and ornate earrings
The Duke of Cambridge bowls while playing cricket on Friday during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village in Lahore, Pakistan
The Duchess of Cambridge plays cricket Friday during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village at Lahore in Pakistan
The Duke of Cambridge joins in a painting session during a visit to the SOS Children’s Village at Lahore in Pakistan
And William paid tribute to his wife’s camera skills, highlighting their visit earlier on Wednesday to the Chiatibo glacier in Broghil National Park, northern Pakistan, to see the effects of climate change.
‘She likes taking lots of pictures,’ he said. ‘She does a few portraits, but mostly landscapes. When we went to see the glacier, she took some great photos up there. ‘
The five-day tour, which ended on Friday, has been judged a triumph. Despite tight security, the couple were relaxed, joking with dignitaries, locals and the press corps.
On Friday morning, the couple again chose to change their schedule, in order to return to an orphanage at the SOS Children’s Village they had visited the previous day, because they felt they had only ‘touched the surface’.
Sitting cross-legged on the bare floor, Kate helped children to paint a mural, saying: ‘I do lots of drawing at home with my children.’
And when one youngster mentioned England, Kate replied: ‘You’ll have to come and see us.’ The Duke then led the children in an impromptu game of cricket.
Kate had the children in giggles by feigning pain after being inadvertently hit on the neck with a foam ball by William, before the prince joked: ‘She’s my wife, so I can just about get away with it.’
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