The Duchess of Cambridge has channelled classic demure elegance on her royal tour of Pakistan.

Kate began the day in Islamabad in a periwinkle blue traditional kurta with trousers and a two-toned chiffon scarf by local designer Maheen Khan.

Khan has been dubbed the Coco Chanel of the East and is known for her flattering cuts, chic designs and a mastery of chiffon.

Kate with William
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during a visit to the Margallah Hills on the second day of the royal visit to Pakistan (Owen Humphreys/PA)

The designer described it as an honour to craft the outfit for the duchess, adding that the piece was “Classic elegance for a princess.”

Kate stayed in the ensemble when she and William visited schools in the Margalla Hills, which sit in the foothills of the Himalayas.

The duchess then switched into a spring green tunic by Catherine Walker, white trousers by Maheen Khan, a dark green patterned scarf by Satrangi and earrings by Pakistani brand Zeen for a lunch with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Kate and William in Pakistan
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge with Imran Khan (Owen Humphreys/PA)

By picking vibrant block colours, the duchess is emulating the Queen’s signature style – with Kate’s green and white combination also perhaps a nod to the Pakistani flag.

The bright green and the sleek lines also drew comparison with an outfit worn by William’s late mother Diana, Princess of Wales on an official visit to France in 1992.

Kate and Diana
Kate in Islamabad, and Diana in France in 1992 (Arthur Edwards & Martin Keene/PA)

Kate’s blue outfit also evoked memories of Diana’s own visits to Pakistan.

When the princess travelled to Lahore, just three months before she died, she was pictured in a royal blue shalwar kameez.

Kate in her blue Maheen Khan outfit, and Diana in Lahore in 1997

On Monday, Kate arrived in Pakistan in an elegant ombre aqua shalwar kameez by British designer Catherine Walker – a favourite of Diana’s.

The bespoke piece, fashioned with a drape which extended to the back,  was described as a “stunning sartorial start” by followers of the duchess’s fashion @katesclosetau.

William and Kate arrive
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge arrive at the Pakistani Air Force Base Nur Khan, near Islamabad (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Kate’s beaded chandelier earrings were by Zeen and her shoes were Rupert Sanderson Malory nude kid leather pumps.

The arrival outfit also echoed the shades worn by Diana on her own visits to the country.

Diana
The Princess of Wales, cradling a sick child at a reception held at the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital during her visit to Pakistan in 1996 (John Giles/PA)

The Cambridges’ five-day trip, at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, is their “most complex” tour to date, according to Kensington Palace, due to security concerns and political tensions in the region.