The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh concluded their first joint overseas visit of 2025 with six-day visit to Nepal, reflecting on the meaningful engagements and lighthearted moments that defined their trip.
Their Royal Highnesses spoke to travelling media, something we’ve seen other members of the Royal Family do including The Princess Royal and The Prince of Wales following their visits to South Africa.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh joked about whose tree is growing more over time. (Royal Family)
During their tour, Sophie and Edward continued their longstanding, good-natured rivalry in tree planting. Sophie humorously revealed that they always check whose trees thrive best over time, adding an element of playful competition to this traditional royal duty.
‘There was a wonderful confusion because they wanted us both to plant the tree, but Sophie was then going to plant a rhododendron’ Prince Edward recounted. ‘Well, hang on a minute, if you’re going to plant the rhododendron, I should plant the tree – there was a lot of banter going on.’
The Duchess confirmed that their competitiveness extends even to their trekking adventures, remarking, ‘got to be competitive going up those hills!’
The Duchess inspected the new Gurkhas. (Royal Family)
The couple also attended the attestation parade of the newest recruits to the Brigade of Gurkhas, where the soldiers swore an oath of allegiance to Charles III. Sophie found the ceremony profoundly moving noting: ‘that moment…I found it really emotional. It was just watching their eyes…that moment that they placed their hands on the table and looked at the picture, you could really see the intent in their eyes. It was very real and very tangible’.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh spoke to Gurkhas. (Royal Family)
Sophie, who has long championed causes related to vulnerable women and victims of human trafficking, dedicated part of her visit to supporting affected individuals. She emphasised the necessity of addressing gender-based violence and sexual exploitation, particularly in conflict zones. ‘In Nepal, one of the things we’ve been focusing on is climate change’, she explained. ‘We’ve got populations becoming more at risk due to it who are going to find it harder to remain where they are. Therefore, if they have to move, they migrate and then become incredibly vulnerable to sexual exploitation’.
Among the organisations she visited was Maiti Nepal, a refuge that aids victims of human trafficking. Sophie was shown photographs of The King’s visit to the same charity in 1998, when he sold watercolour paintings and donated the £67,275 proceeds to the shelter. Sophie stated ‘without that, I don’t know how far forward they would have been able to get. It really was a game-changer for them’.
The Duchess of Edinburgh visited a refuge that aids victims of human trafficking. (Royal Family)
For Sophie, the impact of an overseas royal visit is clear, stating, ‘they’re [organisations] looking for local help from ministers. It’s amazing what a royal visit will do. These people will turn up, and then hopefully, they might learn something when they get there. And if that changes something for them for the better, then it’s great’.
Edward and Sophie during their visit to Nepal. (Royal Family)
Similarly, Prince Edward echoed this sentiment, emphasising the importance of highlighting the work of unsung heroes. “There are some brilliant organisations and some brilliant people, whose work, for most of the time, is unsung. If we can just shine a bit of light on the work they’re doing, and it helps them to be able to tell the story better and to give them a better profile, then that’s what you really hope for’.
As the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh departed Nepal, their visit left behind not just planted trees, but strengthened ties between the UK and Nepal, raised awareness, and renewed hope for many individuals and communities.
