Prince William and Kate Middleton Made a Surprise Visit to an Orphanage After Plane Incident

A happy accident!

Prince William and Kate Middleton made a surprise visit to an orphanage in Pakistan on the last day of their tour. And it was a sweet and unexpected appearance, considering the royal couple technically wrapped their tour the day before, on Thursday, Oct. 17. However, the Royal Air Force plane they were on was forced to abort a landing in Islamabad, Pakistan twice after they got caught in the middle of a severe thunderstorm.

The airplane tried stopping in two areas in the city, before landing in Lahore. So the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s visit to the SOS Children’s Village orphanage on Friday morning was a great surprise, and many of the children were excited to see the famous couple. (This was the second time they paid a visit!)

“That nurturing of this place really comes through. It’s like an arm wrapped around you,” Prince William stated during the visit. Additionally, he also talked about mental health and praised the staff at the orphanage.

“It’s important that people talk about it and it’s not too taboo,” he said about mental health awareness. “In the west, we don’t really focus on the emotional support.”

The Duke of Cambridge added, “What you’re all doing is amazing and you’ve got two ambassadors in us.”

Kate was also happy about returning to the SOS Children’s Village. She said she was “so glad we came back to get the full picture.” Her husband chimed in, “I could feel that there was more to talk about.”

Making their visit even more memorable, the royal couple joined the children for a game of cricket. During the game, Prince William accidentally hit his wife’s neck with the ball. “Ha! She’s my wife, so I can just about get away with it,” he quipped. Luckily, Kate was a good sport and also laughed it off.

Moreover, the pair also joined the kids on the floor for a painting session. They even received friendship bracelets made by the little ones, a pink one for the Duchess of Cambridge and a blue one for Prince William. “Thank you so much for the bracelet,” he said. “I won’t take it off.”

He added, “My children will wonder why I’m wearing it.”

Sometimes, unplanned visits prove to be the best ones!