In line with religious protocol: Prince William
and his wife Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge take their shoes
off before entering the Assyakirin Mosque in the centre of Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, which they visited this morning on the latest stage of their
tour of South-East Asia on behalf of the Queen to mark her Diamond
Jubilee
Sensitivity: According to Islamic religious law,
all visitors to mosques
must remove their shoes and women must cover their hair before
entering. Kate wore a pale grey dress by Beulah London with a draped
head scarf. The label is run by the couple's friend Lady Natasha Rufus
Isaacs. She left her £185 nude LK Bennett heels by the door
Ready to go: Prince William pulls his socks up
after removing his shoes, as the Duchess rises from her seat to join him
on their guided tour of the city centre mosque
The couple were visiting the
Assyakirin Mosque in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, which is the biggest in
Malaysia and can host 12,000 for Friday prayers.
It's the royal couple's first visit to a mosque anywhere in the world.
Kate's appearance at the mosque evoked
memories of Princess Diana, who displayed similar cultural sensitivity
on royal visits to mosques in Egypt and Pakistan.
The late Princess of Wales appeared in
an almost identical outfit on a visit to an Egyptian mosque during a
tour of Egypt in 1992.
A royal aide said: 'It is the first
time that either the Duke and Duchess have visited a mosque. They were
keen to do so as it is is an important part of UK culture as well as
being the predominant religion here.'
Classic look: Kate's appearance at the mosque echoed that
of Princess Diana, who displayed a similar
sensitivity while visiting mosques in Egypt, above, and
Pakistan
Typical magnetism: Princess Diana visited the
Egyptian mosque as part of a royal tour in 1002. Left, a year earlier
she is all smiles, dressed in an elegant and demure green dress with a
black headscarf, as she visits the great Mogul mosque of Badshahi in
Lahore during a tour of Pakistan
As the royal couple climbed the steps
of the mosque they were met by Imam of the mosque Ustaz Saiful, director
of Islamic religious department Datuk Che Mat Bin Che Ali, chairman of
the mosque Syed Abdullah, general manager of facilities Shausudin Ishak
and head division development manager Datin Faudziah Ibrahim.
How do you do? The Duchess of Cambridge shakes
hands with an official as she arrives for the royal couple's tour of the
Malaysian mosque
Learning experience: During their tour of the
mosque, the first they have visited together, both the prince and his
wife were full of questions
Well researched: The duchess spent most of the
time during the tour speaking to the mosque's head division development
manager Datin Faudziah Ibrahim
Both William and Kate were attentive
and eager to learn more about the mosque, which had gone under a
$10.2million renovation in 2009 to double capacity from 6,000 to 12,000.
'Well the fans keep it nice and cool,'
William joked with one of the mosque members who pointed out the dozens
of fans in the area.
Kate said 'it's all so impressive' while one of the guides told her of their plans for another extension.
Before ending their 20 minute visit,
William and Kate watched men of the mosque washing their hands and feet
and were explained the meaning behind it.
They then sat down at their original
starting point to put their shoes back on and leave. 'Mine are easy,'
Kate said to William as struggled to get his right foot in.
Modern outlook: The Palace said the royal couple
were keen to visit a mosque as Islam is an important part of UK culture
and the main religion in Malaysia
Always a gentleman: Prince William hands his
wife her shoes and she slips back into them after the conclusion to
their mosque tour
The Assyakirin Mosque in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, with the city's iconic Petronas towers soaring in the background
Crowd pleasers: The Duke and Duchess are met by
crowds of royal fans as they arrive for their walkabout at Kuala Lumpur
City Centre park
Exotic: Surrounded by dignitaries and beautifully dressed dancers, the royal couple inch their way past crowds
Pressing the flesh: Kate shakes hands with a well-wisher
Everyone wants a picture: Members of the public
train hundreds of cameras on the duke and duchess as they attend a
cultural event at the park
Mobbed: Kate looks a little unnerved but her
husband keeps smiling as they are surrounded by well-wishers. Crowds of
more than 10,000 turned out to catch a glimpse of the royal couple
Families had been waiting in the 30C heat since 7am to meet the Duke and Duchess, and many were squashed up against railings by the heaving mass of people behind them.
They
had brought Union flags, flowers, banners saying 'Welcome' and 'We love
you Kate and William', and some had even written the Duchess letters or
brought Royal Wedding magazines for the couple to sign.
Carnival atmosphere: As the duke and duchess
wandered around the Kuala Lumpur park they were treated to a colourful
cultural performance
Well coiffed: Kate shed her veil on arrival at the city centre park to reveal her hair tied back in an elegant knot
Here, have this: The Duchess of Cambridge meets well-wishers and appears to give away flowers as she walks past the crowds
Amelia and Izzy's mother Jo Thesiger said: 'We got down here early because the girls were so exited to see them.
'She was so lovely in the flesh, really pretty.'
The couple walked round a circle-shaped area of the park, where they stopped to watch colourful performances by traditional Malaysian musicians, dancers and a fashion show showcasing the work of Malaysian designers.
Kate said of one musician playing a string instrument: 'They must have really strong fingers.' Turning to William she said: 'You should have a go', but the Duke declined to join in.
Showcase: The couple walked round a
circle-shaped area of the park, where they stopped to watch colourful
performances by traditional Malaysian musicians, dancers and a fashion
show showcasing the work of Malaysian designers
The British contingent: Ex-pats advertise their
presence with Union flag umbrellas as they await the arrival of the Duke
and Duchess of Cambridge
Royal duties: Prince William eagerly shakes hands with well-wishers fans snap photos in their mobile phones and pocket cameras
She was so excited to see the royal couple she was shaking after their meeting. 'They saw my flag and came over and said "Bore Da" which is "Good Morning" in Welsh,' she said.
'They asked us which part of Wales we were from and when we said Anglesey they said "Oh, the same place as us".
'It was unbelievable to see them, they were so lovely.'
The couple also stopped to talk to a group of expats including Lynn Maitland, 40, originally from Aberdeen. 'They were asking us who we were and we told them we're expat wives,' Mrs Maitland said.
'William said, "I like it that your husbands are all at work and you are here".
'I was surprised at how tall he was in the flesh. Kate was beautiful. She said she was finding it awfully hot.'
Urban: The park sits in the shadow of Kuala
Lumpur's famous Petronas Twin Towers which were, until 2004, the world's
tallest skyscrapers
Flowers for a princess: At the end of the walkabout, Kate is handed a bouquet of flowers by children, including two girl guides
Cerys Howells, 10, said: 'I gave Kate a scarf and she said I could keep it.
'When I said it was for her she asked me if I had a spare and when I said I did she said "Thank you very much".'
Later there was a security incident when a local Malay fan tried to get into the couple's car to take a picture of them as they prepared to leave the park. The man was bundled away by police and handcuffed.
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