Kathmandu - Prince Charles met veteran Gurkha soldiers in a remote Nepali village yesterday as part of his three-nation south Asian tour. Among them was Bhanu Bhakta Gurung (77), a holder of Britain's highest award for military valour, the Victoria Cross.
The hills of Nepal and have provided Gurkhas for the British army for 182 years. About 232,000 Gurkhas fought for the British in the two world wars; an estimated 14,000 were killed and over 28,000 wounded. Prince Charles is colonel in chief of the Royal Gurkha Rifles.