Duke and Duchess of Cambridge meet the Aga Khan in London

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Wednesday (2) met the Aga Khan in London at an event to showcase modern Pakistani culture.

His Highness the Aga Khan hosted the event in association with the High Commission of Pakistan ahead of the couple’s official visit to Pakistan from October 14 to 18.

During their visit, Prince William and Kate interacted with Pakistani community leaders, chefs, musicians and artists and others involved in promoting the UK and Pakistan’s business relationship.

Kensington Palace, the official Twitter account for the royal couple, tweeted photos of William and Kate meeting British Pakistanis including DJ and Producer Naughty Boy, table virtuoso Shahbaz Hussain, flute maestro Muhammad Noman and musician Maha Malik.

The Aga Khan Centre in London is home to the Aga Khan Foundation, the Aga Khan University's Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, and the Institute of Ismaili Studies. These organisations work to promote understanding about Muslim cultures.

“This is an opportunity for their highnesses to come to the Aga Khan Centre, which is an important building here in London,” Mahmood Ahmed, chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in the UK, was quoted as saying. “This building promotes the notions of pluralism and also represents our network which does a lot of work in the developing world.”

“We have a special relationship with Pakistan, but because of their royal highnesses’ upcoming visit there, we decided to invite them here so they could meet the Pakistani diaspora and people from different walks of life based here in the UK,” he said, adding that the guests included people from Pakistan who had made their homes here and excelled.

“It introduces them [Kate and William] to Pakistan. It gives them an opportunity to talk a little bit to people from there and to get a flavour of where they are going.”

British-Pakistani chef Saliha Mahmood Ahmed, who won Master Chef 2017, wrote on Twitter: “An absolute career highlight! Meeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, prior to their tour of Pakistan! Was able to design a Pakistani themed lunch menu.”