x
Breaking News
More () »

Prince Harry Channels Mom Princess Diana in Speech Against Landmines

Prince Harry Channels Mom Princess Diana in Speech Against Landmines
Credit: Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince Harry is taking after his mom.

In a speech on Monday, the Duke of Sussex commented on the "vital mission" of removing landmines from Angola in an effort to put the country "back on the map as a tourist destination."

The cause is near and dear to Harry's heart as his late mom, Princess Diana, visited the African country in 1997 with The HALO Trust, a trip Harry took in 2013.

In the speech, which was given at Chatham House in London, Harry spoke about his dedication to removing landmines -- something, he said, is "a humanitarian issue, NOT a political one" -- and how Diana's work inspired him.

"I had the privilege in 2013 of visiting Angola with The HALO Trust. In Cuando Cubango, in the far southeast of what is a vast, beautiful country, I saw a struggling community in a deserted landscape unable to make use of the land, yet the potential to turn this land into a sustainable source for its people," Harry said. "In fact I was told just the other day of the positive transformation in Huambo since my mother walked that minefield all those years ago."

"... My hope is that through this collaboration, minefields can be cleared, land can be protected, wildlife can be free to return to where they once roamed, and Angolans can reap the rewards by coexisting with the one constant that will draw people in from all over the world -- the extraordinary setting that they call home," he added.

The speech comes ahead of Harry's return to Africa. 

Back in April, a royal source told ET that Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, plan to make a visit to continent in the fall. According to the source, the trip "is still in the planning stages," but it will be an official tour at the request of Her Majesty’s government. 

It is unclear whether Archie, the couple's 1-month-old son, will join his parents on the trip. The royal source added that Africa holds a "special place in the couple's heart," and that Harry has called it a "second home." 

Prior to news of the couple's trip to Africa, another source told ET that the couple is potentially planning to relocate to Africa for approximately two to six months, but the plans are in the "beginning stages," adding that the new "assignment" would be a way to harness their popularity in a commonwealth country.

"The idea is it’s really a step beyond the traditional  royal visit -- an opportunity to have some roots and time in a place so that you can focus more in depth and interact in the community as Ambassadors in the UK, in the commonwealth community and the work they care deeply about," the source said of the potential relocation, which Buckingham Palace neither confirmed nor denied.

Watch the video below for more on Harry and Meghan.

RELATED CONTENT:

Inside Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's Plans for Baby Archie's Christening

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Share Touching New Image of Baby Archie

Baby Archie Has Helped Mend Prince Harry and Prince William’s Relationship, Source Says

 

Before You Leave, Check This Out