Prince Harry beams as he visits small South African mountain kingdom where he's known as 'the warrior'... as William plans a trip to the country
Prince Harry beamed as he visited the small mountain kingdom of Lesotho - where he is known as 'the warrior' - as he continues his solo tour of the region.
The Duke of Sussex co-founded a youth charity there in 2006 in honour of his late mother, Princess Diana, and was pictured with members of the local community.
Harry, who turned 40 last month, began his visit to Lesotho on Tuesday by meeting with young people and sharing experiences around an evening campfire.
He then paid a courtesy visit to Lesotho Prime Minister Sam Matekane on Wednesday.
The Prince is also expected to visit Johannesburg in neighbouring South Africa on his four-day trip to the region.
It comes just over a month before his estranged brother Prince William's own prestigious event in the same country.
The Prince of Wales is expected to attend the 2024 Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Cape Town on November 6.
Prince Harry arrives at a visit to Matlameng in the Leribe region with Sentebale to meet with the community on October 2
Prince Harry during a visit to meet young women taking part in a programme that focuses on vocational training and job placements
The Duke of Sussex and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho arrive at a special Sentebale event to visit the Pointmain Health Facility on October 2
Prince Harry poses for a photo with members of the community during a visit to Matlameng
Harry co-founded the Sentebale charity with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho initially to help young people affected by HIV/AIDS.
It works in Lesotho and Botswana and has evolved into an organization that supports children and young people as they face various challenges related to health, inequality and climate.
Sentebale means 'don't forget me' in the Sesotho language, and the princes established it in memory of both their late mothers.
'We are building a force of young advocates and when they are empowered to use their voices, the strength of their impact will be immense,' Harry said to the young people and others connected to his charity gathered around the campfire.
'You might not always realise how significant your influence is, but if it changes even one person's life, it's worth it.'
The evening event was held at a children's center funded by Sentebale in the historic village of Thaba Bosiu, which was once the capital of Lesotho.
Seeiso, 58, called Harry his younger brother, and reminded everyone that Harry had an African title that Seeiso had previously bestowed on him.
He said that Harry was also known as 'the warrior' in Lesotho. Harry, who was dressed casually in a puffer jacket and dark pants, smiled at the compliment.
Seeiso's father, King Moshoeshoe II, was killed in a car crash in 1996, a year before Princess Diana died in in Paris.
Prince Harry poses for a photo with members of the community during a visit to Matlameng
Community members are seen talking on the hillside during a visit to Matlameng
Prince Seeiso of Lesotho attends a visit to Matlameng on October 2
Lesotho, which is sometimes called the 'kingdom in the sky' because of its mountainous terrain, celebrates its Independence Day on Friday and is also this year marking 200 years since the country was founded.
Harry's connection with Lesotho, a nation of 2.3 million completely surrounded by South Africa, began when he visited after leaving school and worked with orphaned children.
'Lesotho will always be a second home for Prince Harry, and we are forever grateful for his dedication,' Matekane said, inviting Harry to be part of the independence celebrations.
It comes after Harry visited London on Monday by himself for the WellChild Awards, and is not thought to have met up with the Prince of Wales as their rift continues.
William's 2024 Earthshot Prize awards ceremony will be in Cape Town on November 6, raising the prospect of the brothers visiting South Africa just five weeks apart.
Kensington Palace has not yet officially confirmed whether the Prince of Wales will be in South Africa next month, despite a tweet today teasing that he could be there.
Prince Harry smiles with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho at an event in Maseru, Lesotho, yesterday
Prince William visits 2023 Earthshot Prize finalist Enso, in Brentford, West London, on Tuesday
Prince Harry was last in South Africa in 2019 when he made a visit with wife Meghan Markle
The Prince and Princess of Wales @KensingtonRoyal account said: 'There are just five weeks to go until we're in Cape Town for the fourth annual @EarthshotPrize!'
It also featured a video of William talking about the 45 Earthshot alumni, with the tweet: 'Can't wait to be in South Africa this November #EarthshotCapeTown.'
However, the account stopped short of specifically saying the Prince himself would be in South Africa for the annual environmental competition.
William is the driving force behind Earthshot and has attended all the presentation events since launching the initiative.
Singapore staged the most recent awards ceremony last November, after prize-giving events were held in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2022 and London's Alexandra Palace in 2021.
But William's wife Kate will almost certainly not travel to South Africa as she continues to recover following the completion of her cancer treatment.
Prince Harry greets people at Sentebale's Mamohato Children's Centre in Lesotho on Tuesday
Harry poses for a photo at Sentebale's Mamohato Children's Centre in Lesotho yesterday
The Princess did not attend the Singapore awards ceremony due to family commitments, but joined her husband for the 2022 and 2021 ceremonies.
This year's awards will take place across the five-day Earthshot Week 2024 which aims to highlight the best in environmental innovation.
The week will centre around the awards ceremony on November 6, which will see five winners each awarded £1million to scale their solutions.
The ceremony will be followed by Earthshot+, a day of conversations aimed at increasing the impact of the prize winners and finalists.
As for Harry, he last visited South Africa in 2019 with his wife Meghan Markle – and will head there after completing his first trip since 2018 to Lesotho, where he established his first major charitable project.
The Duke is in Lesotho for a gathering of business leaders, philanthropists and local stakeholders - aimed at driving forward the work of his youth-focused charity Sentebale, supporting the digital and economic inclusion of the next generation.
2023 -- Prince William with actress Hannah Waddingham at the 2023 Earthshot Prize awards ceremony at The Theatre at Mediacorp in Singapore on November 7, 2023
2022 -- Prince William with Kate at the 2022 Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway in Boston, Massachusetts, on December 2, 2022
2021 -- William and Kate at the first Earthshot Prize awards ceremony at Alexandra Palace in London
Lesotho's Prince Seeiso, who co-founded Sentebale with Harry almost 20 years ago, has been attending events with 'Mohale' – Harry's affectionate Sesotho royal name which means 'warrior'.
While Sentebale was initially founded in 2006 to help children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana affected by HIV/Aids, it now works to establish solutions to broader problems impacting youth in the region, such as health issues, wealth inequity, and climate.
The Duke regularly visited Lesotho to promote his organisation's work but last travelled to the capital Maseru in 2018, the year he married Meghan.
Harry and Seeiso are carrying out engagements in Lesotho to showcase Sentebale's work to new supporters alongside existing donors through American Friends of Sentebale, with the duo also meeting local leaders and youth advocates.
Later this week in Johannesburg, the group will take part in a reception with South Africa-based stakeholders and strategic partner Lebec, a women-led finance and philanthropy firm, and take part in a panel discussion about philanthropists creating change beyond writing cheques.
