British actress who helped get rights for Gurkhas visits Nepal

Lumley, 63, was mobbed as she arrived in this Himalayan nation, home to the storied Nepalese soldiers who have fought for the British army for nearly 200 years.

"My friends of Nepal, I am your family coming to Nepal for the first time. I want to thank you so much. I want to say in the time-honored cry, 'Ayo Gurkhali!'" Lumley told the crowd from the top of an SUV, reciting the soldiers' traditional battle cry.

In May, the British government gave the thousands of Gurkhas the automatic right to settle in Britain. Lumley — who played Patsy, a chain-smoking magazine editor who slept her way to the top in the TV comedy series "Absolutely Fabulous" — brought her fame to bear on the issue and became the face of their campaign. She said she was drawn to the cause because her father fought alongside Gurkha soldiers in World War II.

Since 2004, Britain has allowed only those Gurkhas who retired after July 1, 1997, to settle there.