Prince Harry to see legacy of Diana’s anti-landmine work in ‘poignant’ visit to Angola
The Duke of Sussex will make a “significant and poignant” journey to Angola to pay homage to the anti-landmine work of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales during a major tour of Africa, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.
The trip, first revealed by ITV News in June, will begin on September 23.
Harry will also pay tribute to a British soldier killed by an elephant during anti-poaching operations in Malawi when he visits the country to highlight efforts to protect endangered animals.
The Sussexes will be taking son Archie on his first official overseas trip and although he has not been included in their schedule, it is understood the couple hope to publicly introduce him to Africa at some point.
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At a Buckingham Palace press briefing about the tour, Sam Cohen, the duke’s private 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.
“Now, more than two decades later, humanitarian de-mining work continues and the Angolan government has made a significant financial commitment to clearing landmines from another large area important for conservation of Angola’s unique ecosystem.”
Diana famously walked through a cleared minefield in Angola in 1997 to highlight the plight of those maimed by military munitions.
The princess never saw her work to help outlaw landmines come to fruition as she died before the international treaty to ban the military weapons was signed later that year, a few months after she was killed in a Paris car crash.
The duke and duchess will visit Africa from September 23 to October 2, and while Meghan and Archie spend the duration in South Africa, Harry will leave his family to tour Angola, Malawi and Botswana before being reunited with them in Johannesburg.