King Charles III and Queen Camilla have expressed their condolences to victims of the devastating flash floods and landslides along the Nepal-Tibet border, as the United Kingdom pledged £5 million in emergency aid.
In a personally signed message shared on the royal family’s X account on Thursday, King Charles said he and the Queen were “heartbroken” by the disaster.
The monarch said many people in the UK had “strong, deep and personal ties” to the affected region and expressed sympathy to families who had lost loved ones or were waiting for news of missing relatives.
“Our hearts go out also to the families of all the police and armed forces personnel who lost their lives while carrying out their courageous duty in the service of others,” Charles said.
The British government has pledged £5 million to support relief operations and offered to deploy emergency responders to Nepal.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham described the situation as devastating and said Britain would support Nepal during the crisis.
Nepal’s Tourism Board said 33 British nationals were among 517 foreign nationals reported missing following the disaster. However, the UK government has not independently confirmed the figure, saying only that a number of British citizens were believed to be missing.
Britain has longstanding ties with Nepal, particularly through the Gurkha Brigade, which recruits soldiers from the country into the British Army.
The brigade’s association also paid tribute to Nepalese soldiers and emergency workers involved in the rescue and relief efforts, expressing solidarity with communities affected by the disaster.
