Edward and Sophie joke together and hold hands on tour of Nepali botanic garden
The Duke of Edinburgh joked with his wife as he planted a tree in a Nepali garden, next to two that were planted by his parents almost 40 years ago.
Edward and Sophie toured the Godawari National Botanic Garden on the second day of their official royal tour of the Himalayan nation.
The couple held hands as they walked down a flight of stone stairs after visiting the site's orchid house, with views over the Kathmandu Valley.
Earlier, they joked together while planting a magnolia tree, metres away from a pair planted by the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in 1986.
The duke said: 'Gosh they've done very, very well,' as he was shown the trees from his parents' previous visit.
The duchess encouraged her husband as he picked up a spade and filled in the hole for the new tree, saying: 'Keep going, darling.'
The pair both laughed as Edward said: 'That's the best bit of exercise I've had in ages.'
They then took it in turns to water the tree, with the duchess saying: 'This is going to make all the difference,' as she picked up the watering can.
Sophie later planted a rhododendron with some local children, asking them to look after it for her.
The duchess expressed concern about the amount of waste left by climbers on Nepal's most famous landmark, Mount Everest, during the couple's second engagement of the day at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development's (ICIMOD) Living Mountain Lab.
Sophie asked if any of the money paid by people to climb the mountain was 'being earmarked for dealing with some of the issues', saying: 'People leave everything behind and it has a huge impact.'
After being told that the average traveller on Everest produces eight kilos of waste, and many would rather pay a government fine than take it with them, the duke said: 'It's difficult because you have to come down very quickly to make room for those coming up so you try to leave as much behind as possible.'
Sophie replied: 'But they don't collect it on the way down again.'
The duchess went on to say: 'It's a very visible manifestation of human impact, isn't it?'
As they toured the site the royals heard about the climate challenges facing Nepal and the Hindu Kush Himalaya.
ICIMOD scientists showed the couple how they are developing technologies for climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable land and water that can be applied in the region.
The duke and duchess also met the seven finalists of the UK-funded Hindu Kush Himalaya Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Air India plane to UK crashes near India's Ahmedabad airport
STORY: :: A UK-bound Air India plane with more than 240 on board crashed near India's Ahmedabad airport :: The incident happened minutes after it set off for London's Gatwick airport :: June 12, 2025 :: Ahmedabad, India The plane was headed to Gatwick airport in the UK, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a civilian area near the airport. Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service. The crash occurred when the aircraft was taking off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge cloud of fire rose into the sky beyond the houses. Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport.
News24
an hour ago
- News24
Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with 242 aboard crashes minutes after take-off
An Air India aeroplane crashed after take-off. The aircraft was headed to the UK. There were 242 passengers aboard. An Air India plane headed to London with 242 people on board crashed minutes after taking off from India's western city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, the airline and police said, without specifying whether there were any fatalities. The plane was headed to Gatwick airport in the UK, Air India said, while police officers said it crashed in a civilian area near the airport. Aviation tracking site Flightradar24 said the plane was a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, one of the most modern passenger aircraft in service. 'At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,' Air India said on X. The 242 people included 217 adults and 11 children, a source told Reuters. The crash occurred when the aircraft was taking off, television channels reported. One channel showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge cloud of fire rising into the sky from beyond the houses. Visuals also showed debris on fire, with thick black smoke rising up into the sky near the airport. They also showed visuals of people being moved in stretchers and being taken away in ambulances. Air India confirms that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, was involved in an accident today after take-off. The flight, which departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, was carrying 242 passengers and crew members on board the Boeing 787-8 aircraft. Of these, 169 are… — Air India (@airindia) June 12, 2025 According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad airport, the aircraft departed at 13:39 (08:09 GMT) from runway 23. It gave a 'Mayday' call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter no there was no response from the aircraft. Flightradar24 also said that it received the last signal from the aircraft seconds after it took off. 'The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB,' it said. Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The last fatal plane crash in India involved Air India Express, the airline's low-cost arm. The airline's Boeing-737 overshot a 'table-top' runway at Kozhikode International Airport in southern India in 2020. The plane skidded off the runway, plunging into a valley and crashing nose-first into the ground. Twenty-one people were killed in that crash.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Tackling global warming is key to keeping Dartmoor ‘special', says William
Restoring nature and tackling global warming are key to keeping Dartmoor 'special', the Prince of Wales has said ahead of his visit to the area. The Duchy of Cornwall and Central Dartmoor Landscape Recovery Project (CDLR) launched a new project to 'create a resilient environment' and meet the changing needs of Dartmoor's communities. William, the Duke of Cornwall, is visiting restored peatland there on Thursday as part of the 20-year plan for the duchy's Dartmoor estate. In a foreword to the Landscape Vision project, the Prince of Wales said: 'Dartmoor is a magnificent and complex ecosystem – the balance between nature and people has evolved for thousands of years to shape the landscape we recognise today. 'To keep Dartmoor special, we must respond to the twin challenges of global warming and the requirement to restore nature, while ensuring the communities on Dartmoor can thrive. 'The Dartmoor Vision shows us what might be possible and how that might be achieved. 'It is bold and ambitious and something that I hope, by working together, can be delivered for not just the current generation but for generations to come.' Researchers found the average number of frost days in Dartmoor is expected to halve over the next 40 years while the odds of a dry summer will rise by 30%, the Duchy of Cornwall said. It added that 2C of global warming could prevent Dartmoor being suitable for blanket peatland, which stores carbon and water and sustains biodiversity. The project will focus on 'coordinated public and private investment' to restore peatlands and upland mosaic habitats in the south Devon area. It is also seeking to create 'partnerships between landowners, farmers and wildlife teams' and foster 'collaboration and mutual respect in what has historically been a contested landscape'. The duchy said it will promote sustainable farming as well as initiatives to provide affordable housing for landscape managers and retiring workers. Around 35,000 people live in Dartmoor and more than two million people visit each year. Claire Hyne, project manager at CDLR, said: 'The Central Dartmoor Landscape Recovery Project plans to continue to work alongside the duchy, farmers and commoners to co-create integrated land management plans whilst identifying opportunities for green finance and funding to help sustain farm businesses, test new ideas and deliver positive environmental outcomes.' Matthew Morris, rural director at the Duchy of Cornwall, said they want to set up a 'shared and multifunctional approach to the way the land is farmed, managed, and used, and in doing so create a more resilient Dartmoor environment'. Mr Morris added: 'With the Dartmoor landscape increasingly vulnerable to climate change, the need to build resilience is clearer than ever.'
