Royal | News - Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
Prince Harry may be warring with Prince William but it seems the Duke has brothers elsewhere. After jetting off to South Africa following a flying visit to the UK, the Duke of Sussex reunited with South African royalty.
In aid of his charity Sentebale – which helps children and adolescents struggling to come to terms with their HIV and AIDS diagnosis – Harry, 40, met up with the Prince of Lesotho who co-founded the charity.
Yesterday, Harry reunited with his old friend and gave an impassioned speech around a bonfire about the vital work that needs to happen to combat the issue.
The Duke launched Sentebale in 2006 after first visiting South Africa in 2004 during his gap year, at a time when one in three children in the country had lost a parent to HIV AIDS-related illness.
The charity has now expanded and works across Lesotho and Botswana, helping vulnerable children and young people. During the reunion, the Prince of Lesotho also gave Harry a new warrior nickname – Mohali.
Harry said: “We’re hitting the targets, not just Sentebale but all of the departments are, and it’s making a massive difference, and it is this surge of energy and optimism and the voice of young people ranging from six to 25 – and the biggest difference of which really needs more work, is when people from the top start listening.”
Prince Seeiso added: ‘This whole journey of Sentebale started from that element of [Harry] having come to the motherland – he’s now my younger brother Mohali, the warrior – but experiencing breathing the same air, eating the same food as the children… that inspired this dream to come to where we are now.
“But it is that deep felt need that we want, collectively, to make a difference in our lifetime, and not only in our lifetimes, but to leave a legacy and pass on the baton to the next generation so that’s why we are going out in all different angles.”
Harry’s travels were not accompanied by wife Meghan Markle who is at home in California with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
His recent trips have been in aid of his charitable enterprises, with his visit to London being in aid of the WellChild charity awards which recognises Britain’s bravest children.
But given the Duke’s security concerns – of which he is in courts fighting the government for – his team banned the charity from publicising the event’s location.
According to a source, the 40-year-old’s team told WellChild that they were not allowed to inform the public or even those outside of a close-knit circle the location of this year’s event due to fears the Duke could become a target.