Prince William and Kate avoid political controversy with statement on Nepal flood?

Kensington Palace’s statement on the Nepal flash flood that killed hundreds of people on Wednesday have drawn attention to the wording Prince William and Kate Middleton used in their message.

The Prince and Princess of Wales specifically referred to the affected area as the “Nepal-China border” rather than the “Nepal-Tibet border” in a statement jointly released by the couple.

The choice of words has raised questions given the political sensitivities surrounding the region.

Several reports about the disaster have referred to the area as the Nepal-Tibet border, prompting speculation over whether the Prince and Princess of Wales deliberately avoided mentioning Tibet in their public message.

The Tibet-China feud refers to the long-standing political conflict between Beijing and exiled Tibetan groups led by the Dalai Lama.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, Prince William and Princess Kate said:

"The scale of the devastation along the Nepal-China border is shocking. We thinking of everyone caught up in the terrible disaster. Our thoughts are especially with the families facing an unbearable wait for news and with the communities confronting such immense loss.

We are incredibly grateful to all those working in such dangerous conditions to rescue people and support those affected."