The people of Nepal received a royal tribute as Prince Harry, fifth in line to the British throne visited the country.
With a charming humility and evident respect for the tiny Himalayan nation, Harry began his trip by addressing the people, commending them on their spirit and resilience despite the devastating earthquake last year that has left a permanent scar on the lives of the locals.
“I’m sure you hear this all the time, but your country holds a special place in the imagination for so many people,” he said.
Prince Harry arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 19, starting his five-day visit to the tiny Himalayan nation. He began with a morning call on President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Nepal’s first female President, elected by the country’s Parliament in October 2015. The meeting took place at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the Presidential Palace in Kathmandu. Their talks ranged from friendly conversation, to earthquake recovery, to the importance of tourism, conservation and climate change.
He pointed out that his visit came at a time when Nepal was preparing to mark the first anniversary of the April 25 earthquake that claimed more than 8,000 lives.
“I pay my respects to those who perished and hope to do what I can to shine a spotlight on the resilience of the Nepali people.”
An official visit that marks the bicentenary of bilateral relations between Nepal and the UK, Harry engaged well with the locals, touring the capital’s iconic sites.
Accompanied by British Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office Hugo Swire, he tried his hand at wood carving, visited the earthquake-hit sites and the historic Golden Gate of Patan.
Earlier, he was greeted with garlands in Kathmandu by five colourfully dressed local girls known ‘pancha kanya’ – the five virgins.
The Prince visited a municipal camp for displaced families in Bhaktapur and delivered aid packages to 10,000 families which included blankets, clothes, digging tools, sanitation supplies and cooking utensils. The member of the royal family is making the most of this trip as he appears cheerful and social, even entertaining demands for “selfies” by the locals.
On a visit to a local school, Harry also participated in the annual tradition of a paint fight, which started with dignitaries smearing paint on his face. The Prince’s former Army colleague Gurkha officer Major Prakash Gurung playfully slapped red powder on his shoulders, only to get back what he gave. The most important part of his visit and most certainly the one closest to his heart, Harry laid a wreath at Gurkha headquarters in Pokhara, and spent a night as house guest of Mangali Tamang, 86, a widow of a former Gurkha rifleman. He said he would try to repay the favour Britain owes Nepal to thank Gurkhas for over 200 years of service to the Crown.
A spokesman for the Prince said, “Having served alongside Gurkhas, Prince Harry has a huge amount of respect for them and admires the strength and resilience of the Nepali people as a whole.”
A statement issued earlier had said the visit would be “a particularly important moment” for the Prince, as he had “such a huge amount of respect for Gurkha soldiers”, since he served with Gurkha troops in Afghanistan in 2008 and knew Gurkhas who had been injured fighting for Britain.
He was also made an honorary head of a village, as villagers from Leurani crowned Harry with a pheta, a white turban-like head-dress.
