The royals visited Ghandruk, a rural village overlooking the Himalayas, with strong links to the Gurkhas where they enjoyed a traditional welcome ceremony with music and dancing.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were given a warm welcome at a hillside village on the last day of their tour of Nepal.
The royal couple, who went trekking in the Annapurna Conservation Area on Saturday, spent the night in Ghandruk – a rural village in central Nepal overlooking the Himalayas, which has produced many Gurkha recruits for The Army.
Colourfully dressed villagers carrying flowers greeted Edward and Sophie as they walked down stone steps to a square, placing yellow garlands around their necks.
The pair made their way under a floral arch with a sign saying: “Welcome to Ghandruk TRHs the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.”
They were given a traditional welcome ceremony and were handed Khadas scarves by the principal of a local school while a band played.
The couple were given traditional garments – Sophie wore a ghalek, a vibrant shawl worn across the body, while Edward was given the male equivalent, known as a bhangra.
They were presented with framed pictures of the mountains as “a token of love from Annapurna municipal principality”.
Edward and Sophie clapped along to a performance of traditional Gurung dance performed by a local youth club.
Among the other guests were Lieutenant Colonel Rajesh Gurung – the most senior Nepali Gurkha officer, who is from Ghandruk.
Locals surrounded the square to watch the performance and hear a speech by Mayor Bishnu Bahadur KC, who said the “historic bi-lateral relationship between Nepal and the United Kingdom is as strong as ever”.
Mr Bahadur said: “Ghandruk has maintained a historic connection with the United Kingdom for over two centuries since the British started Gurkha recruitment in 1815.
“Ghandruk is well known for breeding outstanding Gurkha soldiers. Ghandruk has produced the highest number of Gurkha majors in the British Army.”
He went on to say: “Your royal highnesses, your presence has graced our village and its people.
“This historic moment will go on our record books and will most certainly inspire future generations to visit and support Ghandruk.
“I have learned that a number of towns in the United Kingdom have twinned with villages in Nepal. I am hopeful that one day Ghandruk will be granted the royal permission to twin with one of the towns in the United Kingdom.”
The duke and duchess then visited the Ghandruk Cultural Museum before a musical parade led them out of the village to the waiting convoy of Land Rovers.
There are more than 4,000 Gurkha troops, who are renowned for being “amongst the finest and most feared soldiers in the world,” the brigade’s website said.