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| William and Kate to meet king and queen of Bhutan | William and Kate to meet king and queen of Bhutan |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are due to fly from India to the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. | The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are due to fly from India to the remote Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. |
| Over the next two days the couple will meet the country's king and queen and trek up a mountain to visit the famous Tiger's Nest monastery. | Over the next two days the couple will meet the country's king and queen and trek up a mountain to visit the famous Tiger's Nest monastery. |
| They will also receive a ceremonial welcome and watch a competitive game of archery, the kingdom's national sport. | They will also receive a ceremonial welcome and watch a competitive game of archery, the kingdom's national sport. |
| William and Catherine are in the middle of a seven-day tour of India and Bhutan. | William and Catherine are in the middle of a seven-day tour of India and Bhutan. |
| After arrival in Bhutan on Thursday, the royal couple will have a private audience with King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema, as well as a private dinner with them later on. | After arrival in Bhutan on Thursday, the royal couple will have a private audience with King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema, as well as a private dinner with them later on. |
| During the tour, they have so far fed orphaned baby rhinos and elephants at a wildlife park in Assam and met survivors of 2008's Mumbai attacks. | During the tour, they have so far fed orphaned baby rhinos and elephants at a wildlife park in Assam and met survivors of 2008's Mumbai attacks. |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt | BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt |
| The descent by plane, which has to navigate a mountainside, is not for the faint-hearted. | The descent by plane, which has to navigate a mountainside, is not for the faint-hearted. |
| William and Kate are entering a once isolated land. | William and Kate are entering a once isolated land. |
| Tourists could only visit from the 1970s; TV was introduced in the '90s; and this former absolute monarchy became a constitutional one with an elected government in 2008. | Tourists could only visit from the 1970s; TV was introduced in the '90s; and this former absolute monarchy became a constitutional one with an elected government in 2008. |
| Bhutan is a Buddhist country with an emphasis on gross national happiness rather than its gross domestic product. | Bhutan is a Buddhist country with an emphasis on gross national happiness rather than its gross domestic product. |
| However, the country's prime minister has acknowledged that this much-lauded concept can be overused, and can mask the kingdom's problems with debt, unemployment and poverty. | However, the country's prime minister has acknowledged that this much-lauded concept can be overused, and can mask the kingdom's problems with debt, unemployment and poverty. |
| For two days the Cambridges will be guests of a young king and queen that are held in high regard by its subjects. | |
| They'll learn how Bhutan - which once revelled in its remoteness - is now facing the challenge of how to retain its Buddhist traditions while also embracing the modern world. | They'll learn how Bhutan - which once revelled in its remoteness - is now facing the challenge of how to retain its Buddhist traditions while also embracing the modern world. |
| On Wednesday the pair toured Kaziranga National Park in the state of Assam in an open-topped 4x4, catching sight of elephants, monkeys and a monitor lizard. | On Wednesday the pair toured Kaziranga National Park in the state of Assam in an open-topped 4x4, catching sight of elephants, monkeys and a monitor lizard. |
| They later visited a village on the edge of the park to find out how villagers live side-by-side with the wild animals. | They later visited a village on the edge of the park to find out how villagers live side-by-side with the wild animals. |