Royals
Prince Harry Remembers Princess Diana In A Moving Speech At The UN
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the UN to mark Nelson Mandela Day.
During a moving keynote speech at the UN General Assembly in New York City, Prince Harry remembered his late mother Princess Diana. Speaking at the event on July 18 in honour of Nelson Mandela Day, the Duke of Sussex paid tribute to the life and work of Nelson Mandela, and recalled his own mother’s visit to Cape Town in 1997, during which the Princess of Wales met with the late South African president.
As per the Daily Mail, Harry shared details of a photograph of Diana’s meeting with Mandela, that he believes radiates Diana’s “joy and playfulness.”
“For me, there's one photo in particular that stands out. On my wall, and in my heart everyday, is an image of my mother and Mandela meeting in Cape Town in 1997.” Harry continued, “When I first looked at the photo, straight away what jumped out was the joy on my mother's face, the playfulness, cheekiness even, the pure delight to be in communion with another soul so committed to serving humanity.”
The photograph in question – which was given to him by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu – was taken just five months before Princess Diana’s tragic death, and speaking at the UN General Assembly, Harry also revealed that the continent of Africa is where he feels “closest” to his late mother.
“For most of my life, it has been my lifeline, a place where I have found peace and healing time and time again.” Harry continued, “It's where I've felt closest to my mother and sought solace after she died, and where I knew I had found a soulmate in my wife. And it's why so much of my work is based there.”
As his wife Meghan Markle watched on, the Duke of Sussex also spoke of Mandela’s legacy, crediting his ability to remain positive in spite of the hardships he endured.
“[He was] still able to see the goodness in humanity, still buoyant with a beautiful spirit that lifted everyone around him,” Harry said. “Not because he was blind to the ugliness, the injustices of the world — no. He saw them clearly. He had lived them. But because he knew we could overcome them.”
