Prince William and Kate Issue Nepal Flood Tribute as Harry and Meghan Arrive in the UK

Prince William and Kate Middleton have issued their first public statement since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in the UK — a social media tribute to the victims of devastating flash floods in Nepal.

The Prince and Princess of Wales departed Balmoral Castle on Thursday after a week's stay with their three children, one day after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex landed in Britain for what Reuters, citing the BBC, described as an extended stay in Harry's home country (Hello!).

The Waleses' message, signed with their personal initials and shared on social media, addressed the disaster on the Nepal-China border. "The scale of the devastation along the Nepal-China border is shocking," they wrote. "Our thoughts are especially with the families facing an unbearable wait for news and with the communities confronting such immense loss." They added: "We are thinking of everyone caught up in this terrible disaster," and expressed gratitude to "all those working in such dangerous conditions to rescue people and support those affected" (Hello!).

More than 900 people are missing and at least 359 have died after the floods, which the US Geological Survey attributed to "glacial collapse and debris flow." Thirty-three British nationals are among those unaccounted for. The agency has warned that further flooding remains a risk (Hello!).

King Charles also responded, sending a written message saying he and the Queen were "heartbroken" and offering their "most profound sympathy" to those affected by the "devastating" floods (Hello!).

The Waleses' statement came against a busy week for the Royal Family. Harry and Meghan landed at Birmingham airport on a private jet from California, according to The Telegraph, with their children Archie and Lilibet due to start at a UK school (Nine.com.au; Reuters). The couple will not return to royal duties, Reuters reported. Reuters had reported on 20 August that the pair planned to move back to Britain that month, six years after stepping back from royal life and relocating to the United States. Harry said the move was driven in part by the actions of a "toxic" British press which he said was destroying his mental health (Reuters; Reuters).

Buckingham Palace said earlier in August that Prince Harry would not stay at the palace for a scheduled visit to London, despite his team having previously announced he would (BBC).

For now, the Waleses' public words belong to Nepal. The family left Balmoral on the same day the statement went out, and no meeting between the two brothers has been confirmed by either household.