Duchess Sophie cracks cheeky joke as she kicks off first day of huge tour

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh have kicked off their first-ever official visit to Nepal, with their engagements set to reflect their work including equality for women and girls as well as youth opportunity

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh arrived in Nepal on Tuesday morning for their first-ever official visit to the country.

Prince Edward arrived from India, where he had spent the past two days championing young people and the benefits of non-formal education, while Sophie flew from the UK commercially. Today, they were welcomed to the country at Rastrapati Bhawan, the Presidential Palace in Kathmandu, where they held an audience with Ram Chandra Paudel, President of Nepal and the First Lady, Sabita Paudel.

“It’s very, very nice to meet you,” Edward told the President as they greeted one another in the ornately decorated room filled with 12 sofas, large rugs and light bulbs in the colours of the Nepali flag. After posing for photographs, the two couples sat in gilded maroon and gold armchairs as they began their short bilateral meeting in the presidential office.

During the meeting, the annual report on the Brigade of Gurkhas was handed over to the President by the Colonel Commandment of the Brigade of Gurkhas. Edward clasped his hands together and bowed, saying, “Thank you so much,” as the meeting wrapped up after 45 minutes.

Before leaving, the duke and duchess signed the visitor’s book in front of an impressive canvas of Mount Everest. Turning to point to the image, Sophie said: “It’s the closest I am going to get… sadly.” The royal couple are undertaking the six-day trip to celebrate the UK’s close ties with the country.

It marks the 14th visit by a member of the British Royal Family but the first by the Duke and Duchess. Prince Harry was the last royal to visit Nepal in 2016, a year after the devastating earthquake that killed about 9,000 people and devastated towns and villages.

During the visit, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh’s engagements will reflect Edward and Sophie’s work, including youth opportunity, healthcare, equality for women and girls, and conservation and biodiversity.

They will attend the annual Attestation Parade in Pokhara where young Nepali service personnel will formally join the British Army, marking a rich and proud tradition of collaboration between the two nations. The duke and duchess will also see the work of the Gurkha Welfare Trust in offering continued support to veterans and their families.

The couple, who were praised by Reform leader Nigel Farage last week for “doing a lot of the heavy lifting” by conducting so many royal engagements at home and abroad, will conclude their trip in Ghandruk, allowing them to experience some of the natural beauty and rich heritage of Nepal.

Buckingham Palace said: “The visit will celebrate the close ties between the UK and Nepal, and reinforce shared interests including youth opportunity, healthcare, equality for women and girls, and conservation and biodiversity.” The King visited Nepal in 1998 as the Prince of Wales, and his and Edward’s parents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the late Duke of Edinburgh, travelled there in 1986.