Prince Harry is expected to take to the stage at an event hosted by the Halo Trust on Monday. The charity rose to prominence after Princess Diana walked through an active minefield
Prince Harry’s battle against landmines shows how he is following in his mother’s footsteps as he raises awareness for topics Princess Diana cared deeply about.
The Duke of Sussex, who celebrated his 40th birthday on September 15, is expected to take to the stage while attending an event hosted by the Halo Trust on Monday. The charity, which primarily works to clear landmines and other explosive devices left behind by conflicts, rose to prominence in 1997 after Harry’s mum, Diana, walked through an active minefield in Angola.
The event will take place in New York during UN General Assembly High-Level Week and Climate Week. The prince is also set to make an appearance on behalf of the Diana Award, that was set up to reflect his late mother’s belief that young people can change the world.
And Harry is also set to appear at three other events to raise awareness for conservation and sustainable travel initiatives. A spokesperson for Harry said last month that Harry will “participate in engagements with African Parks, The HALO Trust, The Diana Award, and Travalyst” while “furthering the work of The Archewell Foundation”, the non-profit organisation he co-founded with his wife, Meghan Markle.
Harry previously revealed he wanted to continue his mother’s work which was left “unfinished” due to her tragic death. He previously told former rugby player Gareth Thomas in a podcast interview: “I think once you get to meet people and you see the suffering around the world, you can’t turn, I certainly can’t turn, my back on that. Then add in the fact that my mum’s work was unfinished, I feel obligated to try and continue that as much as possible.”
He admitted he “could never fill her shoes” because of “what she did and what she stood for and how vocal she was about this issue.” Five years ago, Harry echoed his mother’s words in a speech calling for action to clear Angola of landmines. The prince urged leaders not to leave the work “half done” as he described landmines “a humanitarian issue, not a political one.”
Diana famously wore a protective visor and vest to visit a minefield cleared by the Halo Trust in the wartorn country, just months before her death in 1997. Images of her visit prompted mine clearing efforts worldwide.
In a speech at a Chatham House Africa Programme event in London in June 2019 Harry talked about the iconic moment. He said: “I was told just the other day of the positive transformation in Huambo since my mother walked that minefield all those years ago. What is less well-known is the impact landmines can have on conservation and wildlife, and therefore the economy.”
He called mines “remnants of war” and pushed for them to finally be cleared to allow wildlife and tourists to return and help Angola finish its “long journey, full of heartache and frustration”. He said: “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 co-existing with the one constant that will draw people in from all over the world – the extraordinary setting that they call home.”
And in September 2019, Harry visited Angola, donning body armour and a protective visor in scenes reminiscent of his mother to walk through a partially cleared minefield. During his visit, a photo was posted of the Princess of Wales on the Sussex Royal Instagram account with the caption: “The Duke is humbled to be visiting a place and a community that was so special to his mother, and to recognise her tireless mission as an advocate for all those she felt needed her voice the most, even if the issue was not universally popular.”
Near the south-eastern town of Dirico, the Duke walked into an area that was once an artillery base for anti-government forces who had mined the position in 2000 before retreating. The dusty scrubland was marked with red warning signs showing the skull and crossbones, with the Portuguese words “Perigo Minas!” and the English translation below – danger mines.
