Prince Harry to pay special tribute to Princess Diana during royal tour of Africa with Meghan Markle

Publish Date: Monday, 9 September 2019, 10:45AM

More details of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's royal tour of Africa have been released — and Prince Harry is set to pay a special tribute to his late mother's legacy during the visit.

It’ll be a family affair in two weeks time when Harry, Meghan Markle, and baby Archie head off on their 10-day trip around the continent, which marks their first tour as a family of three.

According to new details released by the Palace, the family will arrive in Cape Town on September 23.

While Meghan and Archie will spend the entire duration of the tour in South Africa, Prince Harry will also be making stops in Botswana, Malawi and Angola during the tour.

The royal couple will reportedly leave little Archie with his nanny as they start the official first leg of the tour.

The 34-year-old royal will be focused on issues close to his heart, including conservation, the environment, HIV and AIDs awareness and more.

While the 38-year-old former actress will be working with organisations to "promote women's education, health, entrepreneurship and leadership."

When Harry sets off on his solo travels, his time in Angola will have a particularly special meaning as he will be visiting the same locations as his late mother, Princess Diana did in 1997.

The Prince will pay homage to the anti-landmine work of his mum, visiting the exact same spot where she famously walked through a minefield to highlight the plight of those maimed by military munitions.

In the official press release for the tour, Harry's communications secretary said: "In a particularly significant and poignant journey, The Duke of Sussex will have the opportunity to return to Angola to see first-hand the legacy of his mother the late Diana, Princess of Wales, whose visit to Huambo in 1997 helped raise awareness of the threat posed by landmines to communities and livelihoods.

"The work of the late Princess and commitment to this issue changed global opinion."

After his solo travels, Harry will reunite with his family in Johannesburg before leaving for London on October 2.

The couple will be travelling with an entourage of 13, including a nanny and hairdresser who are both paid for privately.

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Today, we are excited to be able to announce details for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s upcoming tour to Africa! 🇿🇦🇧🇼🇦🇴🇲🇼 • In just two weeks, Their Royal Highnesses will embark on this official tour focusing on community, grassroots leadership, women’s and girls’ rights, mental health, HIV/AIDS and the environment. This programme has been many months in the making, and The Duke and Duchess are eager to focus their energies on the great work being done in Southern Africa. From meeting with Archbishop Desmond Tutu to joining ‘Waves for Change’ on Monwabisi Beach, the South Africa programme will be educational and inspiring. The Duke is especially proud to continue the legacy left by his mother with her work in Angola as he joins Halo Trust again in an effort to rid the world of landmines. HRH will also travel to Malawi where he will check in on the British Army’s partnership with African Parks and will be working on the ground supporting local communities. The Duke is particularly proud to be able to deliver an exciting new initiative, a Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy three-country partnership which he designed and consulted with Governments in Namibia, Botswana and Angola to protect forest and wildlife corridors around the Okavango Delta. The Duchess will be working with local organisations to promote women and girls’ health and education, entrepreneurship and leadership. With such a textured culture and history, Their Royal Highnesses are grateful for the opportunity to connect with those on the ground in Southern Africa and to be inspired by the work being done and learn how they can be better supported. As President and Vice President of The Queens Commonwealth Trust and The Duke’s role as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador, The Duke and Duchess cannot wait to meet with young leaders mobilising change and adding to the beauty of these Commonwealth countries 🇿🇦🇧🇼🇦🇴🇲🇼 • “We look forward to seeing you soon!” • Photo ©️ PA images / Tim Graham - Getty Images / @Sentebale /@AfricanParksNetwork / @YouthAlert

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Sep 6, 2019 at 5:57am PDT

The upcoming tour will see Archie become the youngest royal to represent the monarchy overseas at just four-months-old.

Africa holds a special place in Harry and Meghan's hearts, as the pair travelled to Botswana early on in their relationship, and again before getting engaged in 2017.

Botswana is also where the Duke sourced the centre diamond of Meghan's engagement ring - so it's no surprise the couple wants to introduce their son to the continent.

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