Harry ‘proud’ to continue Diana’s landmine campaigning legacy during Africa trip

The Duke of Sussex will be “proud” to uphold the anti-landmine legacy of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales during his major tour of Africa.

Harry, wife Meghan and their four-month-old son Archie begin their 10-day trip to the continent on Monday – a visit which will see them celebrate the people and culture of the region.

The Sussexes’ first tour as a family comes after the duke and duchess flew to Rome to watch Meghan’s close friend, fashion designer Misha Nonoo marry oil tycoon Michael Hess on Friday.

Among the guests at the lavish celebration were Harry’s cousins Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, US President Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, and actor James Corden.

Harry will travel to Angola during his Africa tour, to pay homage to Diana’s work campaigning for landmines to be outlawed during a visit she made to the country in 1997.

A post about the tour on the royal’s official Instagram account said: “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.”

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 focus attention on efforts to protect endangered animals.

Highlights of the trip will see the duke and duchess visit a township in Cape Town to tour a workshop supporting children and empowering young girls, and visit another near Johannesburg where they will learn about a project tackling rising unemployment.

Meghan is expected to add her voice to the thousands who have spoken out about the rising violence against women in South Africa when she visits the Cape Town township.

The royals 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.

A Buckingham Palace spokeswoman said: “The Duke of Sussex’s love for Africa is well known; he first visited the continent at the age of 13 and more than two decades later, the people, culture, wildlife and resilient communities continue to inspire and motivate him every day.”

Harry’s first trip came in the months after Diana’s death in 1997 when his father the Prince of Wales took him to the continent “to get away from it all”, the duke has said.

Meghan, who is making her first visit to South Africa, and Harry both admire South Africa’s former president Nelson Mandela and have already met members of his family in the UK.

Towards the end of their visit they will be introduced to the statesman’s widow Graca Machel, who met the duke when he visited South Africa in 2015, and have an audience with President Cyril Ramaphosa and his wife Tshepo Motsepe.