Kate Middleton Wears a Leather Vest and Boots While Visiting a Glacier in Pakistan

Duchess Kate traded in her sequined gown for an outdoorsy ensemble today, as she and Prince William visited the Chiatibo Glacier in Pakistan’s Hindu Kush mountain range to see the effects of global warming firsthand.

The Duchess of Cambridge sported neutral tones, opting for flat knee-high boots for the rocky terrain, a brown midi skirt, a chocolate button-up, and an olive leather vest. She accessorized with a pair of gold dangling earrings and a beige pashmina draped over her shoulder. Meanwhile, the Duke of Cambridge wore a light blue shirt, beige chinos, and brown suede boots.

The duke and duchess traveled via helicopter to a remote location in the Chitral District in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province to see the Chiatibo, marking their first time seeing a melting glacier in real life. On location in Broghil National Park, they were shown how the natural structure had rapidly decreased in size in recent years due to global warming.

Climate change doesn’t affect only the mountains; glaciers in the Hindu Kush, Karakoram, and the Himalayan mountain ranges in northern Pakistan provide water for 1.6 billion people. About 70 percent of the 5,000 glaciers in the area are retreating, according to Dr. Furrukh Bashir of the Pakistan Meteorological Department, who joined the couple on the expedition.

“A lot of people rely on this,” the duke said in a video with ITV, gesturing to the glacier. He warned that “if we take too long” to take action, “we will lose many of the precious things we care about.”

Responding to the changing landscape, William said communities that are “vulnerable to change” need “more education, more awareness and political action.” He noted that young people “are starting to get engaged in it” and called for a “positive conversation” about climate change.

On a lighter note, he also showed off his geography skills, after studying the subject at the University of St Andrews. “Dr. Warren, my geography teacher, would be well impressed that I’m back at a glacier after all these years,” he said.

Kate teased back, “I’ve been very impressed by William’s geography.”

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