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Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
Prince Harry issues urgent statement about heartbreak after solo trip without Meghan
Prince Harry followed in the footsteps of his late mother, Princess Diana, on a trip to a minefield in Angola with the Halo Trust - and now he has spoken out about his heartbreak after the visit Prince Harry has spoken of his heartbreak for children in a statement issued after a solo trip without Meghan Markle. The Duke of Sussex made the trip to Angola to visit a minefield 28 years after his mother's famous visit to the same country. Harry, as a patron of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust, spoke to families in a remote village near Africa's largest minefield. He gave children in Cuito Cuanavale advice on avoiding detonating mines, telling them in Portuguese: "Stop, go back and tell your elders." Following his trip, the official website of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex featured comments from Harry about the visit, which was described as honouring his mother, Princess Diana's "powerful legacy" and bringing "global attention" to the dangers of landmines. And after visiting the remote village of Mawano, he said: "As a father to young children, it breaks my heart to see innocent children still living and playing next to minefields. "All of us have a duty to protect children and future generations from the harms of war, both present and past." He continued: "I urge all donors to stand with Angola in fighting the job. This is not just about landmines, it's about healing the last wounds of war and giving future generations the peace they deserve." It is estimated that at least 60,000 people have been killed or injured by landmines in Angola since 2008, the Halo Trust said. The trust has cleared more than 120,000 landmines and 100,000 bombs from the country. However, in the past five years, the devices have killed at least 80 Angolans and more than 1,000 minefields are yet to be cleared. In 1997, months before she died in a car crash, Diana, wearing a protective visor and vest, walked through a minefield being cleared by the Halo Trust. She strode through a cleared path in a Huambo minefield, and the images of her in body armour and a mask gave the anti-landmine campaign global recognition. Harry's trip to Angola came just days after it emerged that top aides for him and his estranged father, King Charles, had met in London - leading many to believe it was the first tentative step in them reconciling after Harry revealed earlier this year that they are no longer on speaking terms. The Duke of Sussex has levelled a series of accusations against his family, and in his controversial memoir, Spare, said his brother, Prince William, had physically attacked him and that the King put his own interests above Harry's and was jealous of Meghan. Meredith Maines, Harry's chief communications officer, and Liam Maguire, who runs Harry and Meghan's UK public relations team, met the King's communications secretary, Tobyn Andreae, at the Royal Over-Seas League in London last week. The private members' club is located right by Clarence House, Charles's London residence.
Sky News
5 days ago
- Sky News
Prince Harry follows in Diana's footsteps - and returns to Angola to back landmine clearing charity
The Duke of Sussex has visited Angola to support a landmine clearing charity, repeating a famous trip his mother made in 1997. Prince Harry met with families in a remote village near Africa's largest minefield as part of The Halo Trust's outreach programme. Princess Diana visited the country in January 1997, supporting the same charity, seven months before she was killed in a car crash in Paris. Diana famously wore protective equipment and walked through a cleared path in an active minefield in Huambo, during a break in fighting in the African country's long civil war. Her attention to the plight of Angola - including civilians injured by landmines - helped secure a treaty banning the munitions. Wearing similar protective gear, Harry has followed in his mother's footsteps by walking through a minefield in Cuito Cuanavale and raising awareness of HALO, which helps clear landmines from old war zones. During his visit on Wednesday, the duke also helped educate children to stop them detonating lethal devices left behind from the country's civil war. "Children should never have to live in fear of playing outside or walking to school," Harry said. "Here in Angola, over three decades later, the remnants of war still threaten lives every day." Harry began his trip to the African nation by meeting Angolan President Joao Lourenco on Tuesday, a statement from Halo said. The pair discussed a new three-year contract between the Angolan government and The Halo Trust, which the charity's chief executive James Cowan described as "an important step forward in our mission to make Angola mine-free". The duke attended a reception hosted by the British Embassy on Tuesday evening. During a previous trip in 2019, he said Angola's continued problem with landmines would likely have been solved if his mother had lived. He also met landmine survivor Sandra Tigica - 22 years after his mother Princess Diana was pictured with the then 13-year-old, who lost a leg. Halo estimates that around 80,000 Angolans have been killed or injured by landmines during and after the 27-year civil war, although there are no exact figures. The organisation says just over 1,000 minefields, covering an estimated 26 sq miles (67 sq km) still needed to be cleared at the end of 2024. Angola had set a goal to be landmine-free by 2025.
Daily Record
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
'Bitter' Prince Harry's 'realisation' about Meghan Markle after solo Angola trip
Prince Harry made a surprise visit to Angola this week, where he travelled alone to see the work of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust Prince Harry's unexpected journey to Angola to emulate his late mother's humanitarian efforts took many by surprise. It was only after he had arrived earlier this week that it became public knowledge Harry was in the African nation, where he visited a minefield in a poignant reminder of Princess Diana's visit shortly before her death. As a patron of the landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust, he travelled to Angola and engaged with families living near Africa's largest minefield. Harry undertook the trip without Meghan, who stayed in California with their kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, due to safety concerns cited by sources for the Duke of Sussex's solo visit. This move also signifies a notable shift from the entertainment-focused endeavours Harry has pursued since stepping back from Royal duties with Meghan, including deals with Netflix and Spotify. However, Royal commentator Jennie Bond sees this type of humanitarian work as Harry's true calling. Speaking to the Mirror, the former BBC Royal correspondent said: "I think this is precisely the sort of work that Harry should do. It is not only a hugely worthwhile cause, but it also connects him with his mother, which is something he yearns for. "I think he is coming to recognise that the LA celebrity world is one in which he is not especially comfortable. And he seems quite willing to let Meghan take the limelight over there. He speaks frequently about a life of service, and trips like this certainly serve a very good cause indeed," reports the Mirror. During his visit, Harry highlighted the danger posed by these explosive devices in Angola, the very same country Diana, Princess of Wales, travelled to in 1997 to campaign for a worldwide ban on such weapons. Just months before her tragic death in a car accident, Diana donned protective gear and a visor as she walked through a minefield being cleared by the Halo Trust. She made her way along a safe corridor in a Huambo minefield, with the striking photographs of her wearing body armour and a face shield bringing worldwide attention to the anti-landmine movement. Jennie continued: "I was with Diana in Angola all those years ago, and the impact she made by walking across a minefield was enormous. She told me that she was simply trying to be a humanitarian, and that is something Harry can also aspire to. "I remember her befriending a 13-year-old girl called Sandra as she went through the pain of having yet another prosthetic limb fitted. Her leg had been blown off by a landmine. Years later, Harry met Sandra in Angola and reflected on all his mother had done. "Sadly, despite all the publicity the Princess's trip engendered for the cause, landmines remain a scourge in Angola. So I think it's brilliant that Harry is continuing her work - and keeping her memory alive." Meanwhile, Harry, who also mirrored Diana's actions in a 2019 visit to an Angolan minefield, remarked: "Children should never have to live in fear of playing outside or walking to school. "Here in Angola, over three decades later, the remnants of war still threaten lives every day." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. The Halo Trust has reported that since 2008, at least 60,000 individuals in Angola have been killed or injured by landmines. The organisation has cleared more than 120,000 landmines and 100,000 bombs from the nation. Diana was vocal against the sale and use of landmines and notably called for an international ban on them during her 1997 trip. Regarding Harry's most recent journey, the Halo Trust commented: "This renewed commitment builds on previous support from the Angolan government, which was first highlighted when the duke visited the country in 2019 to retrace the path of his late mother. That visit showcased how once-dangerous land could be transformed into a safe and thriving community."
Daily Mirror
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Prince Harry's bitter realisation about life with Meghan in telling recent trip
Prince Harry has made a surprise trip without Meghan Markle to Angola with one of his charities - and one expert believes it speaks volumes about how he regards his work five years after quitting the Royal Family Prince Harry's unannounced trip to Angola to follow in the footsteps of his late mother certainly caused surprise. It was only revealed that Harry was in the African country, where he visited a minefield, echoing a visit by Princess Diana shortly before her death, after he landed earlier this week. He travelled to Angola as a patron of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust and spoke to families in a remote village near Africa's largest minefield while there. Harry made the trip solo, leaving Meghan at home in California with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, with sources citing safety concerns over why the Duke of Sussex made the visit alone. It also proves a marked change from the work Harry first started pursuing after he and Meghan quit their royal roles and chased entertainment deals with the likes of Netflix and Spotify. But for royal expert Jennie Bond, this type of work, such as highlighting the scourge of landmines, is the type of work Harry is best placed to carry out. The former BBC royal correspondent told the Mirror: "I think this is precisely the sort of work that Harry should do. It is not only a hugely worthwhile cause, but it also connects him with his mother, which is something he yearns for. "I think he is coming to recognise that the LA celebrity world is one in which he is not especially comfortable. And he seems quite willing to let Meghan take the limelight over there. He speaks frequently about a life of service, and trips like this certainly serve a very good cause indeed." On the trip, Harry was highlighting the threat of the munitions in Angola, the same nation Diana, Princess of Wales, visited in 1997 to urge the world to ban the weapons. Months before she died in a car crash, Diana, wearing a protective visor and vest, walked through a minefield being cleared by the Halo Trust. She strode through a cleared path in a Huambo minefield, and the images of her in body armour and a mask gave the anti-landmine campaign global recognition. And Jennie added: "I was with Diana in Angola all those years ago, and the impact she made by walking across a minefield was enormous. She told me that she was simply trying to be a humanitarian, and that is something Harry can also aspire to. "I remember her befriending a 13-year-old girl called Sandra as she went through the pain of having yet another prosthetic limb fitted. Her leg had been blown off by a landmine. Years later, Harry met Sandra in Angola and reflected on all his mother had done. "Sadly, despite all the publicity the Princess's trip engendered for the cause, landmines remain a scourge in Angola. So I think it's brilliant that Harry is continuing her work - and keeping her memory alive." Meanwhile, Harry, who also echoed Diana in a 2019 visit to an Angolan minefield, said: 'Children should never have to live in fear of playing outside or walking to school. Here in Angola, over three decades later, the remnants of war still threaten lives every day.' It is estimated that at least 60,000 people have been killed or injured by landmines in Angola since 2008, the Halo Trust said. The trust has cleared more than 120,000 landmines and 100,000 bombs from the country. Diana spoke out against the sale and use of landmines and famously called for an international ban on them during her 1997 trip. On Harry's latest trip, the Halo Trust said: "This renewed commitment builds on previous support from the Angolan government, which was first highlighted when the duke visited the country in 2019 to retrace the path of his late mother. That visit showcased how once-dangerous land could be transformed into a safe and thriving community."
New York Times
17-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Prince Harry Follows in Diana's Footsteps as Specter of Land Mines Returns
In 1997, wearing body armor and surrounded by warning signs emblazoned with skulls, Diana, Princess of Wales, drew the world's attention to the brutal and enduring consequences of land mines by walking through a minefield in Angola, which was then enduring a civil war. On Wednesday, her son, Prince Harry, made the same journey through a partially cleared minefield, at a time when countries are beginning to break away from the international anti-land mine treaty drawn up in the months after Diana's visit. Harry visited Cuito Cuanavale, a remote community around 350 miles from the live minefield that Diana walked through in Huambo 28 years ago. During a previous trip in 2019, Harry had retraced his mother's steps on the same piece of land, which had been made safe and reclaimed for homes, schools and businesses. Both he and his mother traveled with The Halo Trust, a British land mine clearance nonprofit. The group said that Harry had joined a group of de-miners in what it believes to be Africa's largest remaining minefield, and helped to destroy two anti-tank mines from the conflict that raged between 1975 and 2002. The timing is symbolic. Months after his mother's visit to the southern African country in January 1997, 164 nations signed a United Nations convention banning antipersonnel land mines, leading to a virtual halt in global production of the weapons and the destruction of stockpiles. This year, at least five countries will leave the convention. Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania announced their withdrawal in March, saying in a joint statement that the security of their region had 'fundamentally deteriorated' since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and that it was 'essential to evaluate all measures to strengthen our deterrence and defense capabilities.' The withdrawal will come into effect in September, and Finland will follow two weeks later. Antipersonnel land mines are already being used in the Ukraine war — including some supplied by the United States — and the latest announcements have raised fears that the indiscriminate weapons, and the terrible destruction they wreak on children and civilians, will spread once more. The Halo Trust said that at least 60,000 people were known to have been killed or injured by land mines in Angola since 2008, and the true total was likely to be higher. Of those, 80 deaths have come in the past five years, despite continued clearance efforts.
