Story highlights
British royal couple arrive in the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan
They enjoy a private audience with the country's young King and Queen
Bhutanese prince guides the visiting royals in art of archery, Bhutan's national sport
(CNN) —
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent time Thursday with another glamorous young royal couple when they received a private audience in Bhutan’s capital with the King and Queen of the remote Himalayan kingdom.
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, 36, and Queen Jetsun Pema, 25 – often compared to the photogenic young British royal couple – met with Prince William and his wife, Catherine, at the Tashichho Dzong, a Buddhist monastery and fortress in the Bhutanese capital, Thimphu.
The duke and duchess, on the first day of the Bhutan leg of their weeklong visit to India and the kingdom, were ushered into the Dzong amid great fanfare with a traditional welcome procession known as a Chipdrel, and they later received a blessing at a temple.
They then visited Thimphu’s open-air archery venue and tried their hand at the tiny Buddhist kingdom’s national sport under the guidance of Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck, the Bhutanese king’s younger brother.
In Bhutanese archery, participants aim at small, colorful wooden targets positioned 145 meters (475 feet) away, according to an official statement detailing the itinerary of the royal tour. The Duchess of Cambridge wore an outfit made from traditional Bhutanese material.
The duke and duchess were then scheduled to have a private dinner with Bhutan’s King and Queen at Lingkana Palace on the grounds of the Tashichho Dzong.
Prince William and Catherine are on the fifth day of their tour to India and Bhutan, their first trip to the South Asian countries. So far they have visited Mumbai, New Delhi and Kaziranga National Park in the Indian state of Assam.
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge play cricket with legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar
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Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, sit in front of the Taj Mahal on Saturday, April 16, in Agra, India. Princess Diana was photographed in the same spot in a famous photo from 1992. This is the last engagement of the Royal couple after a weeklong visit to India and Bhutan that has taken them to Mumbai, Delhi, Kaziranga, Thimphu and Agra.
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Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, chat with a monk in Thimphu, Bhutan, on Friday, April 15.
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Will and Kate take a photo with Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema at a Buddhist monastery in Thimphu on Thursday, April 14.
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The royal couples visit the Golden Throne Room of the Thimphu Dzong on April 14.
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Prince William watches as his wife fires an arrow during an archery demonstration in Paro, Bhutan, on April 14.
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The couple paints an elephant statue at India's Kaziranga Discovery Park on Wednesday, April 13.
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The royal couple takes an open vehicle safari inside Kaziranga National Park on April 13. They spent several hours at the park in hopes of drawing attention to endangered animals, including the park's 2,200 one-horned rhinos.
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Catherine feeds a baby elephant at the Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation on April 13.
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William and Catherine watch Assamese traditional dancers perform at the park on Tuesday, April 12.
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William and Catherine visit with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before a lunch event in New Delhi on April 12.
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A strong handshake by Modi leaves an impression on Prince William's hand on April 12.
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William and Catherine play a game with children at a New Delhi railway station on April 12.
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Catherine participates in an art class with children on April 12 at a center run by the charity Salaam Baala in New Delhi.
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William and Catherine cut a cake during 90th birthday celebrations for Queen Elizabeth II at the residence of the British High Commissioner in New Delhi on Monday, April 11.
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The royals visit Gandhi Smriti, a New Delhi museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, on April 11.
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The couple removes their shoes as they pay respect at Gandhi Smriti on April 11. The house is where Mahatma Gandhi, India's founding father, spent the last few years of his life.
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William signs a visitors book at the India Gate war memorial on April 11.
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The couple puts down a wreath at the India Gate to honor Indian regiments that served in World War I.
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William and Catherine leave the India Gate after paying their respects.
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge speak with Boman Kohinoor during a meeting in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, April 10. Kohinoor, 93, has a strong claim to be India's biggest fan of the British royal family. Giant cardboard cutouts of William and Kate adorn his restaurant. His dream came true after the couple was made aware of a social media campaign with the hashtag #WillKatMeetMe.
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The royal couple poses on stage with actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, third from left, and Shah Rukh Khan at a Bollywood Charity Gala in Mumbai on April 10.
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The duchess plays cricket with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar at the Oval Maidan sporting ground in Mumbai on April 10.
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Prince William plays soccer during a visit to a Mumbai slum on April 10.
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The royal couple floats flowers at the Banganga Water Tank in Mumbai on April 10.
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The couple placed a wreath at the martyrs memorial at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai on April 10.
On their second and final day in Bhutan, the couple are scheduled to take a 5- to 6-hour hike to the Tiger’s Nest monastery, a cliffside temple complex built in 1692 that’s more than 3,000 kilometers (more than 1,860 miles) above sea level.
Bhutan is a remote nation of about 750,000 that borders India and China. It’s known for its stunning Himalayan scenery and the concept of Gross National Happiness, in which the country seeks to develop in accordance with Buddhist spiritual values rather than along a capitalist model.
