Prince William has paid an emotional tribute to renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja after the celebrated climber was confirmed among those killed in a devastating avalanche on Broad Peak.
The Prince of Wales shared a heartfelt message on Instagram on Saturday, offering his condolences to the families affected by the tragedy and remembering Purja as an extraordinary figure whose achievements transformed the world of mountaineering.
“I was truly saddened to hear of the tragic death of Nirmal Purja and those who lost their lives in the avalanche on Broad Peak,” William wrote.
The Prince praised Purja’s remarkable journey from military service to global acclaim.
“Nims served with distinction in the British Armed Forces before becoming one of the world’s greatest mountaineers, putting Nepalese climbers on the map,” he said.
“His relentless pursuit of what seemed impossible, combined with his humility and selflessness, made him truly unique.”
William concluded the message by extending his sympathies to everyone affected by the disaster, writing: “My thoughts are with his family and the families of all those who died.”
The statement, signed simply with the letter “W”, was shared through the Prince and Princess of Wales’s official Instagram account.
Purja, 43, was among ten people who lost their lives after an avalanche struck Broad Peak, a towering summit in the Karakoram mountain range on the Pakistan-China border.
He had been taking part in an expedition alongside climbers from Nepal, Pakistan, China, Oman and the United States when disaster unfolded.
Born in Nepal, Purja rose to international prominence after completing one of mountaineering’s greatest feats in 2019, climbing all 14 of the world’s mountains above 8,000 metres in just 189 days.
Earlier in the day, the Prince and Princess of Wales had been celebrating a very different occasion.
After attending the Commonwealth Games with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, the couple shared a joyful video from Glasgow on Instagram, congratulating athletes from across the Commonwealth and offering a special message of support to Team Wales.
They wrote: “Congratulations to every athlete taking part in this year’s Commonwealth Games!
A special well done to Team Wales for proudly representing the nation on the international stage.
It was a pleasure to join the athletes today at Wales House. Llongyfarchiadau, Team Wales!”
2026-08-02 01:35:00
