King holds audience marking 70th anniversary of Mount Everest ascent

Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first men to reach the summit in 1953.

The King receives Jamling Norgay, son of Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay, during an audience at Buckingham Palace (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire)

The King has met the children of the men who became the first climbers to reach the summit of Everest.

The occasion marked 70 years since Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first men to reach the 29,028ft (8,848 metres) summit on May 29 1953.

First attempted in 1921, Everest had repulsed at least 10 major expeditions and two solo attempts before the 1953 British expedition finally succeeded under the military-style leadership of Lord John Hunt.

News of the successful ascent broke on coronation day, June 2.

Buckingham Palace said Charles held an audience on Wednesday with Sue Leyden (daughter of Lord Hunt), Peter Hillary (son of Sir Edmund) and Jamling Norgay (son of Mr Norgay).

To mark the occasion of the 70th anniversary, Charles also sent a message to the Everest70 celebratory event at the Royal Geographical Society on Tuesday.

Ms Leydon read the message out in which Charles remarked on “the wonderful symmetry” in the coinciding of the 70th anniversary with his coronation.

His message said: “Seventy years ago, on the eve of her coronation, my late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, received the wonderful news that a British team, led by Colonel, later Lord, John Hunt, had successfully climbed Mount Everest.

“The pair who reached the summit, supported by a dedicated team of mountaineers and sherpas, were a New Zealander and a Nepali Sherpa, thus bringing together two nations that have long shared a mutual love and respect for the mountains and for exploration.

“It has not escaped my notice that there is a wonderful symmetry in the coinciding of the 70th anniversary of that achievement with my own coronation.

“The bond between my family and the legacy that resulted from that historic moment was further strengthened through The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, which Lord Hunt helped my father to create and which has since offered millions of young people opportunities to explore their own strengths and skills, as well as to offer their services to the community.

I dearly hope we can take inspiration from the Everest expedition of 1953 in order to work together in a similar fashion to safeguard our beautiful world for future generations

The King

“What we are celebrating today must be one of the greatest examples of endurance, combined with careful planning and collaboration.

“Our world is facing unprecedented and existential challenges, including climate change which endangers fragile ecosystems, including the Himalayan range.

“I dearly hope we can take inspiration from the Everest expedition of 1953 in order to work together in a similar fashion to safeguard our beautiful world for future generations.”

Meanwhile, the Queen, who is Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police, held an audience with Colonel Ruth Weir, Corps Colonel.

An audience like this would give the Queen an opportunity to be updated with what is going on within the Corps.