Royalty roughing it: Britain’s Prince Harry spends night in Nepali village house

Britain’s Prince Harry stayed at the home of a former Nepalese Gurkha soldier who served in the British army as the prince continues his tour of the Himalayan nation.

The prince flew to Leurani village, northwest of the capital Kathmandu on Monday and spent time with the villagers dancing and later feasting with the family of Mangali Tamang, 86-year-old widow of a former soldier.

Locals lined the trail to the village, offering flowers to the prince. He was also given a cream-coloured scarf which is offered to special guests. He stopped to visit two families who are building new homes after their old ones were destroyed in last year’s earthquake.

Press Association said Tamang was overjoyed to have her guest and, following Nepalese custom, referred to the royal as “king”: “I’m very happy. I cried ‘when I die I can say I talked to the king of a foreign land’.”

“I could do nothing, put a garland of flowers around him and then I blessed him,” Tamang was quoted as saying. “I blessed him so that he may live to be 100 years and all his wishes become fulfilled, and where he goes success will follow him.”

Nepal abolished its centuries-old monarchy in 2008 and Harry is the first British royal to visit Nepal since then.

Heavy rain and hailstones did not dampen the celebration.