Prince William told a group of teenagers he was a "big fan" of his late mother, Princess Diana.
The 37-year-old prince and his wife Duchess Catherine are currently touring Pakistan and on Tuesday (15.10.19), they visited the Islamabad Model College for Girls, where a group of students spoke of their admiration of the late princess, who died in 1997.
A girl named Aima told the royal couple they were "big fans" of Diana.
William smiled and told the 14 year old: "You were, really? Oh, that’s very sweet of you. I was a big fan of my mother too.
"She came here three times. I was very small. This is my first time, and it is very nice to be here and meet you all."
The former RAF and air ambulance pilot also admitted he grew up wanting to fly because it made him feel so "free".
Speaking to Aima, who wants to be a brain surgeon when she’s older, he said: "Actually I changed a lot as I got older, but I always wanted to learn to fly. I was flying for a while a actually. I love flying, I feel very free [and] I like learning a skill, I enjoy that. I can relate the science of what you do."
William and Catherine – who donned a royal blue shalwar kameez for the visit – toured classrooms and highlighted the benefits of young girls pursing professional careers and university education.
As they left, the prince spoke to a teacher about his campaigns for mental health reform.
He said: "In the UK we’re trying to make sure mental health is part of education as well."
He also explained how students from disadvantaged backgrounds did not have a "stable health platform to build on".
The couple – who are the first royals to visit the country since William’s father, Prince Charles, and stepmother, Duchess Camilla, in 2006 – have not been joined on the trip by their children, Princes George, six, and Louis, 17 months, and Princess Charlotte, four.
The youngsters are instead believed to be being cared for by their nanny and Catherine’s parents, Michael and Carole Middleton.
Prince William was ‘fan’ of Princess Diana
