Duchess off target with archery skills … but a hit with the crowds in Bhutan

The Duchess of Cambridge collapsed into giggles as she tried her hand at the national sport of archery at the start of a two-day visit to the tiny Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. The ever-competitive Kate, who was wearing a skirt made from Bhutanese fabric, could not resist unleashing an arrow at a target the size of a dinner plate. After her husband had missed with his two shots from 50 yards away, her own efforts finished woefully short or wide. While she laughed off her lack of prowess, she drew a huge cheer from the 1,000-strong crowd at the venue in the Bhutan captial Thimpu.

Did they clear the bank? Can you check there’s no one on the bridge. I don’t want to cause a car crash

Prince William after his first wayward arrow

Earlier, the couple had flown into the mountainous country - famously poor but always scoring high on global happiness indices `- on a specially chartered plane. The royal couple were allowed into the cockpit to witness the notoriously hairy descent into the mountain-ringed Paro airport. On the runway, William and Kate were greeted by the King’s sister Princess Chhimi Yangzom and her husband and they were each presented with a ceremonial scarf called a khadhar, given as a symbol of friendship. The royals are expected to forge a friendship with Bhutan’s modernising King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and his wife Queen Jetsun Pema, who are often compared to the Cambridges.

Two of the best royal couples in the world are meeting, so I think it is pretty exciting

Tsering Pem, a resident of the capital, Thimphu

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