Prince William shares devastating message hours after public appearance with children

The Prince of Wales has shared a message following the news that Nirmal Purja was among the ten people who had died following an avalanche on Broad Peak, which is situated on the border between China and Pakistan.

In a message shared on his social media pages, William said: “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.

“Nims served with distinction in the British Armed Forces before becoming one of the world’s greatest mountaineers, putting Nepalese climbers on the map. His relentless pursuit of what seemed impossible, combined with his humility and selflessness, made him truly unique.”

The royal concluded: “My thoughts are with his family and the families of all those who died. W.”

Nirmal, who was 43 when he died, was part of the expedition on Broad Peak with the Alpine Club of Pakistan along with five other climbers from Nepal, and climbers from China, Pakistan, Oman, and an American climber, Mallory Geis.

He previously starred in the 2021 Netflix documentary 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible.

He was born in Nepal and scaled the world’s 14 highest peaks in 189 days in 2019. He briefly held a record for the fastest climb until 2023 when a Norwegian woman surpassed him.

Broad Peak is part of the Karakoram mountain range between Pakistan and China and is the 12th highest mountain in the world at more than 26,400 feet above sea level. Broad Peak was first scaled in 1957, and since then, dozens of climbers have died trying to reach the top.

William’s day before the tragedy

Ahead of the release of his message, William had enjoyed a day at the Commonwealth Games with his family. The royal was seen being joined by the Princess of Wales, alongside their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

© Alamy Stock Photo

George, Charlotte and Louis’ appearance at the event, which is being held in Glasgow this year, is the first time that they have publicly been spotted in Scotland. It is also George and Louis’ first time at the Commonwealth Games, although Charlotte previously attended the event when it was held in Birmingham back in 2022.

The special family outing comes just weeks before George is set to depart his Windsor home for his secondary education at Eton College, where he will be a full-time boarder.