The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have arrived in the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan and met the country's young king and queen. They took part in a welcome procession in capital Thimphu and later tried the country's national sport, archery. They were in the cockpit of their Royal Bhutan Airways chartered jet as it landed at Paro airport - one of the world's most challenging runways. They are in the middle of a seven-day tour of India and Bhutan.
Their two-day visit to Bhutan began with them being greeted on the tarmac at the airport by the king's sister. They were presented with a ceremonial scarf called a khadhar, given as a symbol of friendship. The royal couple's convoy of cars then snaked its way through steep mountain valleys to Thimphu. At one point during the journey dozens of schoolchildren lined the road wearing traditional clothes and holding friendship scarves.
At the Tashichho Dzong fortress in the capital, they had a private audience with Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 36, and Queen Jetsun Pema - like the Cambridges, a young couple with a family. They emerged about 30 minutes later and walked across a large courtyard to a Buddhist temple, where they were blessed and used tapers to light lamps.
The duchess was dressed in a Bhutanese-inspired outfit, with a mauve and blue skirt made from local material and styled on the country's national dress. Later, during a visit to an open-air archery venue in Thimphu, they saw at first hand Bhutan's national sport.
Both Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge fired arrows at a target about 40m away. The couple also tried out khuru, a sport developed by cow herders which involves throwing large darts out of tree branches and bird feathers at targets. The duke and duchess will return to India on Saturday, but over the next two days they will be hosted by Bhutan's royal couple, who are expected to name their first child - a boy - at the weekend.
The Duke and Duchess are led up to the Golden Throne Room.
The corridor leading up to the Golden Throne Room has murals depicting the life of the Buddha.
His
Majesty The King, Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen, and the Duke and Duchess
of Cambridge before the thongdrol of Kuenkhen Pema Karpo.
Monks wait to receive Their Majesties and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to
the Grand Kuenrey of the Tashichhodzong.
Their
Majesties and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge light butterlamps in
the Grand Kuenrey of Tashichhodzong, as nuns from Thimphu sing the 'Guru
Soledep prayer.
Monks offer their farewell to Their Majesties and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
as they leave the Tashichhodzong.
Prince William also took up the archery challenge
And the duke and duchess tried the dart-based sport khuru
The couple rounded off their day of engagements in Bhutan with a private dinner
with the King of Bhutan. Kate kept it casual in a floaty maxidress from Tory Burch, an
American designer. The gown is a classic column shape and embroidered
with jewel-toned flowers and beading.
Friday was an early start for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as
they set off on a challenging six-hour trek in Bhutan to the Tiger's
Nest monastery. The monastery, which dates back to 1692, is located close to the cave
where Guru Padmasambhava – who is credited with introducing Buddhism to
Bhutan – is said to have meditated for three years, three months, three
weeks and three days in the eighth century.
Stopping halfway to see their finishing point in the distance, William and Kate barely appeared to have broken a sweat. "Halfway, let's do it, let's go on," said William as they carried on.
The couple paused again later on at a panoramic viewpoint overlooking
the Tiger's Nest, before tackling the final 1,000 steps.
William looked slightly more flushed than his wife and wiping sweat
off his brow, he laughed saying, "so far, so good" while also joking
that the trek was "easy".
Kate, who is naturally sporty, looked more than ready to take on the
challenge. The Duchess wore jeans, a white shirt and a dark brown
leather waistcoat designed by one of her favourite outdoor British
brands Really Wild, which she has worn in the past.
She completed her outfit with her trusty Penelope Chilver riding boots, another item she has owned for some time. Despite the difficult trek, not a hair was out of place for the Duchess, who topped off her look with black Ray Bans.
