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In Kuwait Charles and Camilla encounter a reminder of home

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22 FEBRUARY 2007

In Kuwait as part of a ten-day tour of the Gulf region, Prince Charles and Camilla had probably envisaged air-conditioned transport in the city and perhaps the odd encounter with a camel in the desert. So the sight - on a visit to a Kuwaiti cultural centre - of a red London double-decker bus must have seemed like a mirage.

Arriving to view a display of the ancient Bedouin art of weaving, Charles and Camilla were greeted by a Number 38 former Piccadilly Circus bus. It had been driven from London to Kuwait in 2005 by Graham Hawkins, the principle of the British School of Kuwait - some of whose pupils were on hand to greet the couple.

Once inside the centre, the Prince of Wales tried on a gold-trimmed bisht, the traditional wide-sleeved overgarments made from cotton or camel wool that are worn by Middle Eastern men.

Earlier in the day the pair had visited Kuwait's largest mosque, with Charles - who has long been interested in Islamic traditions - also meeting with the Kuwaiti minister of religious affairs for a discussion about the importance of dialogue between faiths.

The royal couple travel to Qatar on Thursday, and then on to Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.