Prince Harry gives moving speech in Lesotho, talks about the loss of his mom

Prince Harry gives moving speech in Lesotho, talks about the loss of his mom

Hey, guys! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving (for those who celebrate) and don’t get hurt if you’re out doing Black Friday shopping. Whether Thanksgiving is a thing for you or not, here are some Harry photos to brighten up your Friday.

*Harry flops warning* Prince Harry (still sporting the Ginger Beard) started his royal tour to Lesotho and South Africa yesterday, November 26, with a moving speech in which he talked about the “gaping hole” left by the death of his mother, Princess Diana.

Harry was at the official opening of Sentebale’s Mamohato Children’s Centre in Lesotho when he said in part:

    “Eleven years ago I made my first visit to Lesotho, with the help of Prince Seeiso. As we travelled the country I was amazed by its raw beauty; but I was also struck by the many children I met whose lives had been shattered by the loss of a parent and in some cases both. I couldn’t believe that so many children had been robbed of their childhoods by extreme poverty and the ravages of HIV and AIDS. Behind those smiles it was clear they desperately needed care, attention and above all, love.
    “Although our situations couldn’t have been more different, I felt an overwhelming connection to many of the children I met. They were far younger than me, and of course, their situation was a great deal more challenging than my own. Nonetheless, we shared a similar feeling of loss, having a loved one, in my case a parent, snatched away so suddenly. I, like them, knew there would always be a gaping hole that could never be filled. For so many of the children in Lesotho, that situation was compounded by the harsh environment and extreme poverty they faced. At the age of just eight or nine taking on the responsibility of caring for brothers and sisters there was simply no time for being a child anymore.
    “Experiencing this first hand in 2004 put all my experiences and worries into perspective. From that moment, it wasn’t a question of when but how quickly could we put something in place which could help these children, robbed of the carefree childhood many across the world enjoy.
    “It was already obvious to me that a great deal of valuable work was being done by local people across these communities. But it was also clear that the volunteers and organisations weren’t able to attract the financial support they needed, as attention was rarely drawn to Lesotho. Prince Seeiso and I felt that we could make a meaningful and long-term difference to these children by starting a charity which could draw attention and funds to these grassroots organisations. From the start, our approach was all about working with partners, after all, they were the ones with knowledge and expertise of working in such a unique and challenging environment.”

[princeofwales.gov.uk]

This was really a fantastic speech which I only partly quoted due to space. Harry related to the children his charity helps, talked about why he started the charity in the first place, talked about the charity’s goals, and what they’ve already accomplished. It’s well worth the read.

I complained about the way Duchess Kate talked about why she decided to take up children’s mental health as a cause and several of you guys disagreed with me about that – saying she wasn’t trying to other her audience, that she was understanding that she fortunate, or that I just shouldn’t complain. I stand by the fact that I (emphasis on I) thought the way Kate talked about her childhood was othering in the face of children suffering from mental health issues, and want to say that I like the way Harry talked about why he took up his cause because he related to the children in saying he has experienced loss but also made sure to express that he did have an easier time than the children of Lesotho. He understands his privilege compared to the Lesotho kids but is still able to relate to them in some way (which is what I wanted from Kate).

I cannot speak to Harry’s delivery because as of time of posting the only video I’ve seen of his speech is the one below which is only a small part taken from far away. If I see a better video later, I will update the post.

Harry poses during photography workshop Harry during photography workshop

Before his speech, Harry toured the center and took part in a photography workshop with the children and Prince Seeiso (Sentebale’s co-founder). They took Polaroids of themselves and stuck them on the wall. Harry seemed into it, even using props and doing fun poses for the cameras. Harry even took some photos himself. Relebohile Mokemane, who was running the session, said of Harry: “Prince Harry is very fun, he engages with [the children]. Someone might be sitting there and not doing very much and he brings them in.”

Harry also took part in a drama workshop where he watched a play about a young girl contracting HIV as part of a project encouraging young people to use drama to discuss social issues.

A bit about the Mamohato Children’s Centre from Sentebale:

    “The ‘Mamohato Children’s Centre will be the flagship facility that supports all of Sentebale’s work with vulnerable children in Lesotho. Named after His Majesty King Letsie III and Prince Seeiso’s mother, the late Queen ‘Mamohato Bereng Seeiso, who was known as the Mother of the Nation, the centre will be used to hold a range of events and workshops to benefit vulnerable children. These will include hearing assessments for children with hearing disabilities, training workshops for organisations caring for vulnerable children, peer educator workshops and forums and, specifically, it will host camps delivering psychosocial support to children living with HIV.
    “The aim of Sentebale’s camps is to ensure all 10-19 year olds living with HIV access and adhere to their anti-retroviral treatment, feel supported in school, at home and in the community, and are able to lead healthy and productive lives. In addition, the camp inspires child-to-child communication encouraging children and young people to teach each other about the disease, breaking down stigma that prevents many knowing their status and accessing treatment.”

Harry arrives at the Mamahoto Children's Centre

While the center in named after Prince Seeiso’s mother, Harry’s mother and beloved nanny were not forgotten. There is a Diana, Princess of Wales Hall and the Welcome Center is “in loving memory of Olga Powell”.

Diana, Princess of Wales Hall Welcome Center in memory of Olga Powell

Before opening the center, Harry met with King Letsie III of Lesotho (Prince Seeiso’s brother) and the Prime Minister. The King said he longs for the day he can welcome “Harry and…” But joked that we may have to wait a few years for that.

Harry wore a navy suit for the visit with the King and wore a Mamohato Children’s Centre polo shirt and jeans to open the center.

There was a dinner in the evening which Harry attended but the press were not allowed (though they were allowed to view the room before the dinner took place). Joss Stone performed and apparently Harry danced for the entire set. The menu consisted of: Osso bucco, local trout with tomato and onion, samp and beans, savory rice, creamed spinach, roasted butternut squash with almond butter, and steamed bread for the main course; and sticky toffee pudding with custard for dessert.

Sentebale dinner setting Sentebale dinner menu

There are no public engagements on Harry’s schedule for today, November 27, but he will resume his tour tomorrow, the 28th, in South Africa. For now, here are some more photos from the event.

Link: Mirror.

Photos: Getty / Victoria Murphy @QueenVicMirror / Kensington Palace @KensingtonRoyal / Rebecca English @RE_DailyMail / Emily Andrews @byEmilyAndrews


75 thoughts on “Prince Harry gives moving speech in Lesotho, talks about the loss of his mom

  1. Happy Thanksgiving KMR! I hope you had time with your family today?
    Great post and thanks for posting about Harry’s trip. I get the feeling he has been really paying attention to what is happening for a lot longer than we may have realized. I love that he saw something where he could make a difference, and then did it. Like with the ex servicemen, Harry is walking the talk

    1. Thanks Cathy! I skipped the big family get together and instead went out to eat and had a great thanksgiving meal at Cracker Barrel. It was good.

      I really liked hearing/reading Harry talk about what motivated him to start Sentebale. I think no matter what Harry has done in his private life, he understands how his position can help people. Even if he gets grumpy about it sometimes. I also like how he admitted a while ago that when he first started Sentebale that he and they didn’t know what they were doing and it took a while for them to really make it good. And I like that he took what he saw at the Warrior Games and made the Invictus Games happen. He really is doing things – even if it’s just getting the right people together and setting things in motion.

      1. Yes, that’s another thing I like about Harry, He pays attention and is learning as he goes along. There was an interview with Sophie in Harpers Bazaar UK where she too said about watching others (especially The Queen) and learning from them.
        Harry may not have book smarts but he sure has street smarts. (I hope I said that right?)

        1. Yes, Sophie has talked about learning from the Queen. Even Edward and Anne have said that they were terrible at royal duties when they first started and had to learn on the job. It’s perfectly fine to be terrible at first as long as you are open to learning and bettering yourself. Kate’s problem is that she never learns from her mistakes.

          1. Well we have to consider the possibility Kate does not know she’s doing something wrong.
            Let’s see the press adore her beyond reason. They and her PR time built a perfect reputation, adding to that she said, in her engagement interview, she and Will do not care about their public image the only important thing is the people close to them and if they think what K&W are doing is good so everything is okay.
            She might not even consider how many things she’s doing wrong because no one close to her is letting her know, and can we really blame them? If they are like the majority of the brits the only opinion of the RF is how they barely work and are a bunch of free loathers and then they got William, the petulant who shows them exactly that. Kate is learning from the worst.
            So how can we truly expect something truthful and inspiring from her? Not to mention if she doesn’t think she’s doing something wrong how can she learn from it and improve?

          2. what’s not widely known is that the BRF suggested to the Cambridges that Kate should shadow Sophie at the beginning to learn from her, but William vetoed that idea because he thought he would be her teacher.

            The sad thing is that William seems to be crap at his public duties unless it’s something that interests him personally and that is reflected with Kate’s appraoch to her duties.

            I think the interview he gave at the beginning of his work with EAAA says it all. He doesn’t know what royal duties are, he thinks everyone else should be doing them and he thinks he can manage a piloting job together with kinging.

            How is Kate supposed to learn her job or even how to compliment his job as a consort when he doesn’t know what his job is or what it means?

  2. Harry is simply amazing. His mother would be so incredibly proud of him. As Cathy said, he’s walking the talk. Unlike his big brother.

    Seeing his and Prince Seeiso’s dream of this center come true just fills me with so much pride and joy even though I have nothing whatsoever to do with either of them. I’m just so happy for them and the children that will get valuable help through the center.

    This man should be the future head of his nation.

    One small thing, why couldn’t William do a brief press release to congratulate his brother instead of two or three talking about his and Kate’s future appearances. Or at least hold them to the next day. Disliking them more and more.

    1. William gives speeches about how he doesn’t want his kids to grow up without the pleasure of seeing elephants, and Harry is actually founding charities who build centers to help children in Africa, and working with wounded servicepeople. I know Harry has “more freedom” since he’s not the heir but William could do so much more if he wanted to. Charles had those same “restrictions” of being the heir and he created a great role for himself.

      I noticed that KP announced Kate’s future appearances on the same day Harry was starting his tour. I thought that was a d-ck move. They could have easily announced Kate’s plans the day before.

      1. Don’t forget his hands on work with the conservationists this summer. I don’t see why William, during one of his bazillion gap years, couldn’t have done something similar if he feels so badly about not being able to take his children to Africa to see the animals.

        As for the announcement, they could have held it a day as well. It’s not earth shattering news and wasn’t needed to try and dull the shine on Harry. He really does need to either align with PC’s office or get his own PR agent. Jason just throws him under the wheels of the Cambridge bus.

        1. “Jason just throws him under the wheels of the Cambridge bus.”

          He really does.

          I saw several articles recently talking about how there are only three white rhinos left on earth, or something like that. And considering how much William cares about wildlife in Africa and rhinos, I’m surprised he didn’t say anything. I mean, I’m not surprised because I don’t expect much from William, but it would have been a great opportunity to make a statement and he just didn’t.

        2. For all William’s”work” for anti-bullying, he really should take a good, long look in the mirror. His treatment of Harry is pure bullying under the guise of sibling rivalry.

          1. I agree. I think that William is resentful of Harry. He has the freedom and the life that William can never have. He may try to replicate it, but he can’t.

          2. Agreed.

            I am an only child, and my husband has an older brother. He says this goes beyond sibling rivalry, petty jealousies, or just silly brother stuff. “Sounds bitter his brother’s a better person, so it’s easier to tear him down” was the sum of his opinion.

      2. Compete d-ck move!

        It’s like, “oh wait, Harry’s doing something again (and not in private like a much of his work is) let’s release a statement so our idleness isn’t exposed and we look like we give a _ _ _ _.” Hate that so much.

        This kind of reminds me of Prince Charles’ old PR guy who threw everyone else in the Royal Family under the bus when rehabilitating Charles and Camilla’s public image, Mark Bolland.

        I’m glad Harry has his own Private Secretary now, there was a noticeable difference in his engagements and public role when he got his own office staff, but I do think it’s time he got his own press secretary too now. Unfortunately, this is not going to be the last we see Jason (and anyone else who follows William’s directive) try to keep under wraps and overtaking Harry’s work.

        Seriously, the DM has only just add a second article on Harry’s work today. They just kept updating the first one and you had to keep loading more articles on the DM app to get to it. We get on average 4 articles from one KM 1hr visit. I should just be grateful the DM bothered to cover it at all.

        1. It’s a classic PR move, to throw someone else under the bus to make you look better. They have done that with William and Harry for decades. It’s only been more recently that Harry has become beloved, much more so than William, and he gets good press even though there are still times when William throws him under the bus or tries in other ways to undermine him.

      3. Lovely post KMR. Harry is really… authentic. His whole family should be proud of him. The speech was heartfelt and he was clear not to conflate his loss of a parent with children who had lost more. Really well done.

        As for Harry having more freedom: sure, he does not have the burden of becoming king one day, as does William. But the Royals tend to live long lives. William may not ascend the throne for a good 30 years, if at all. That’s a whole lot of life to make a difference to the world OR a whole lot of life to whinge. And as you pointed out, Charles has driven his own interests relentlessly, particularly in the early days when his interests re. organic farming were considered eccentric.

        Yes, Harry needs to gently extricate himself from his brother and sister-in-law’s press arrangements and set his own course. He seems to have good advisors of his own, and best of all, he is learning and growing into a good man.

        1. The whinging that he’s the heir to the heir thus he has restrictions strikes me as such twaddle. Charles was the heir, and look at the charitable empire he has created! Did that stop him? Hell no! William’s people and fans need to stop with the damned excuses already. (I blame William as one reason Kate is so lazy. He is her teacher, and he hates the establishment. There’s no way he would help her become better even if she wanted!)

          1. Your last line is so true. I do think Kate is genuinely lazy in her own right but having William temper any sort of desire to work does not help. *He* wants a private, “normal” like away from the press and royal duties, so no matter what Kate wanted she would have to settle for that lifestyle because it’s what William wants. And no matter how many times her PR team or her fans try to say she wears the pants in that relationship it is obvious that William is the one in charge.

        2. Charles is the best example of an heir making the most of the time spent waiting to be monarchy. He really carved out a place for himself and held true to his beliefs even when everyone said he was ridiculous. Yes he’s complained about things but he’s also helped so many people over the years. William could take that initiative and define his own role in the RF while waiting and do so much good. But instead he complains and does nothing else.

      4. Charles created the Prince’s Trust at 28. It works with disadvantaged young people and is one of the hundred largest charities in Britain. What was William doing at 28? Being a self-indulgent brat flying helicopters? Charles wants William or Harry to take over the Trust but neither is interested.

    2. I dislike this in Will. Too much like his father and his envy of Diana and her popularity with the public. Charles should have been like King W who doesn’t seem to care that Queen Maxima has the spotlight. Support for one who shines only makes you look better in others eyes.

      The petty behavior in the BRF is silly. They all have strengths and weaknesses and should work together. For the most part the royal family of Sweden seem to do it.

        1. I think it started with Charles, Anne, Andrew and Edward. There is such a huge age gap between Charles and Edward I wonder what they find to talk about. Princess Anne is close to Andrew I have heard. A friend of the family’s daughter used to work at BP and Edward was the only one to greet the office staff. Such different personalities. Princess Anne, Sophie and even Camilla know the value of hard work. When William is heir to the heir is he going to step up. Somebody in the family needs to tell William and yet they let him decide for himself.

      1. I don’t think there is any way to hide Maxima’s light under a bushel. There just isn’t. If WA didn’t want to marry a show stopper, he wouldn’t have picked Maxima.

  3. Well KMR you are not alone, I too found Kate’s speech odd in that part, although I agree with some, she did make sure to let everyone she was lucky not to have a problem because her upbringing, but at the same time that only proves she’s not reading scientific papers on mental health issues. I also had a lovely childhood, loving parents and family members, however I have depression. So I’m not lucky even though technically I am!? The bigger pet peeve I had with the speech was when she ‘imagined’ the reason why the present people support the cause was the same as hers. Firstly why does she has to imagine? It never occur to her to ask? And second the majority of people who join causes is not bc they are lucky but bc they had personal negative experiences which they are trying to make positive changes. I think she was trying to make a connection to people and IMO it didn’t work.

    On to Harry, this man is an outstanding person!

    I personally would like for him to lift his head when he does speeches but I will cut him some slack, after all his speeches are usually quite big and he has dyslexia. He’s already one of the top royal public speakers and I would like to see him being even better at it. 😀

    Sentebale is such an inspirational charity it brings so much joy and pride to everyone involved. That’s why I would like to share a video about the center, it’s the first time they received kids in October 2015, to everyone who want a better insight to how it works with the kids, you won’t regret it: https://vimeo.com/146134798

    I wish all the best to Harry, Seiso and Sentebale this is an amazing accomplishment and I can not wait to see what the future holds. After all they are going to expand to other countries!!!

    PS: even though is not a speech by Harry you could certainly update your post with that video KMR it’s a wonderful one 😉

    1. That was one of the things that bugged me about Kate’s speech. Just because a child has two loving parents, supportive teachers, and a privileged childhood doesn’t mean he/she won’t suffer from mental health issues. There are a ton of causes for depression, not just poverty. And what about other mental health issues like ADD, OCD, schizophrenia, or autism? Mental illness is not classist.

      I also had a huge issue with her line of “I imagine my answer might be similar to many of yours.” In my experience most of the time the reason someone supports a cause is because they have some sort of personal connection to it – be it themselves or someone they know who was affected. Also, she didn’t even give an answer, she just said she had a great childhood but didn’t really connect that to why she decided to support that cause. That whole first part of her speech just didn’t work for me.

      But anyway, this is a Harry post. I do think Harry needs to work on his delivery. The main thing for me is his mumbling. He usually mumbles a lot. From the brief video I saw he didn’t mumble so much this time. And yes, the looking down is a huge problem, too. I could forgive the looking down a bit more, though, if he read certain lines better. I know everything he says is pre-written but there have been several times when certain lines are supposed to be read like they are off-the-cuff and he just reads them off the paper like the rest of the speech. Like the “every little thing is going to be alright” line in Jamaica, or the “You better bring it USA.” line in his speech in Washington. Those lines are supposed to be read as off-the-cuff and when he doesn’t read them that way it sounds so very stilted.

      Also, that’s a lovely video.

      1. It may be a combination of the rumored dyslexia and nerves for Harry. Easy to lose your place on the page when the words and letters are dancing around. Victoria also has dyslexia, but I haven’t seen any of her early speeches to see if it had an impact. Her speeches now are great, so we can hope Harry keeps improving.

        1. His dyslexia was confirmed by Harry to a reporter on his 18 or 21st anniversary interview. The reason no one brings it up is obvious: he’s the spare. But is not a rumour My2Pence. Thought you would like to know. 🙂

          1. I know they’ve confirmed Beatrice’s dyslexia. I’ve never seen Harry confirm his, so I’d love to read those interviews. I only know it was rumored by Jeremy from TopGear, who said that Harry told him about it when they met up accidentally on holiday somewhere.

            There were people online who wanted Harry to confirm it during the twitter campaign this year, but instead he went with fear of public speaking.

  4. What a shining moment for Prince Harry, congratulations!!! He has worked so hard for this charity and when it had financial difficulties several years ago, he didn’t just throw in the towel he reorganized it, found funding and worked hard to guarantee it’s success. He seems to have been blessed to be on the receiving end of the best of his parents DNA, Diana’s warmth, compassion and empathy and Charles’ determination and drive.

    On the shallow side, I’m so glad to see that he’s kept the beard!!! It gives his a certain look of gravitas and maturity plus it’s super hot!!!

    1. That beard. And the one of him holding the polaroid while there were sweat beads on his brow. Yes. I have a problem. I will see my way out now.

      1. I like the photo of the Polaroid of him shaking the Polaroid. That one was my favorite.

  5. Now, this is the way to continue the holiday weekend here in the States. (Glad you enjoyed yourself on T’giving, KMR). Harry, Harry, Harry! What an amazing man. I was moved to tears when I read his speech. He is a man who understands the pain of others and works through his own loss by giving to others. I know his mother would be so proud of him. He really should be the future King. Such a shining star in the Royal Family. Shame on William for not supporting his brother’s efforts more. And, for not making his own mark in a loving way. With Willialm, I just always feel there is anger and resentment building up within. Not good for him or his family.

    1. I so agree with you Jenny, about William’s anger and resentment. I feel that the royal family and especially Kate work hard to appease him and soothe his temper tantrums. I would hope for his sake he realizes this and asks for help.

    2. Jenny!! How are you and baby Madeleine doing?

      Harry shines in his role. I hope he continues to transition into full time working royal status instead of trotting off to a civilian job. He is great with his royal role.

      William is filled with anger and resentment and it’s only gotten worse with time. I feel sorry for George and Charlotte. The Cambridge PR team says they want to give the kids as normal a childhood as possible, but I’m wondering if that includes the psychological damage that so many “normal” children grow up with. William thinks he’s had it so tough with his royal upbringing and the loss of his mother but making his children grow up with that kind of anger and resentment in their lives, coupled with the fear of ever leaving the house lest they be photographed, will not be good for them.

      1. So agree with you, KMR and Lauri. It is really sad for George and Charlotte to be growing up with such an angry, resentful dad and a seemingly needy, immature mum. When Kate and William keep their children isolated from the public, they are doing damage to the children. Nobody is asking for constant coverage of the little Prince and Princess, but the Swedish Royals get it and I wish the Cambridges did, too.

        All is well here. I have a great built-in babysitter for the Thanksgiving weekend in the form of Madeleine’s godmother, my sister. In fact, Maddie was showered with so much love and attention this weekend, it’s a wonder she is still her sweet, peaceful self. Both sets of grandparents, many aunts and uncles and one great-gramdmother all were here for Thanksgiving Day. All madly in love with her. She is a really good baby. People always say that having a baby brings out the best in people and it does. I am in awe of my little girl each time I look at her. To me, she is perfect. Motherhood is exhausting, though. When family leaves, it’s back to the nitty gritty. Hope I will still find time to take a peek at this blog.

        1. Hi Jenny
          Congratulations! And welcome to little Madeleine!
          She sounds like such a sweetie.
          Thank you for sharing your news with us all!
          Cathy

        2. How sweet! Great to hear/read that you and Madeleine are doing well. I hope she wasn’t too exhausted by all the visitors over Thanksgiving. I hope you find time to get some rest in; it’s very important especially when it is so scarce like with a new baby.

          1. Jenny is back to full-time mommyhood, but I read her these comments and she asked me to thank everyone and say hello.
            She really appreciates the thoughtful comments people have made about her little one. Her family left after the Thanksgiving weekend and it’s back to the nitty gritty for her, as she posted.
            If I have a chance, I may stop by to visit later today. My girls want to see the baby!

          2. Say “Hi” to Jenny for me.

            How old are your daughters? I remember when I was a kid and my cousin had a baby that I thought it was so much fun helping to take care of him. Your daughters may want to take on all the baby duties… until she starts crying and they’ll hand her back to her mom.

          3. I will say hello, KMR. Thanks. I am sure Jenny will say hi to you and everyone, too. My girls are 3 and almost 6. You are so funny. The minute little Maddie gets fussy, they will surely want to give her back! My little one is so intensely fascinated by the baby. She told me she is going to ask Santa for a baby sister or brother. In her dreams! This shop is closed!

    3. Unfortunately William’s anger and resentment cause him to try to take credit for Harry’s work. He did it with Invictus and he’s tagged along to military events to try to take Harry’s thunder. I hope Harry has enough self-preservation instinct to keep William far away from Sentebale.

  6. Excellent work KMR, thank you.

    Amazing, amazing work being done and so is the team all round. I also really love that not only are these children with HIV/AIDS provided with psychosocial support and life skills but the knock on effect is that they can educate others. There are some really great initiatives and projects that Sentebale runs and supports. I love the breadth and reach as well as the diversity in the tools that they use to address and meet the needs the children and Lesotho have. Seriously, from the camps with creative and interactive activities such as the use of drama to encourage learning and openness to talk about an issue (HIV/AIDS) that is still so taboo to running night schools that provide more than just basic education for herd boys, homes for orphanages and supporting schools for disable children.

    I love that on more than one occasion Harry has acknowledge the people who were already doing something and who continue to contribute. I remember him once saying one of the biggest lessons they learnt was listening and really hearing from the children instead of their ideas what they needed. Solutions that definitely address what’s impacting the people you’re trying to help most. I like that Harry’s honest enough and not too proud to admit and address what didn’t work, like with the management and handling of money at the start or how tight the timing was for the Invictus Games.

    In his interactions with people he comes across as a person who who doesn’t think too highly of himself or that he’s a cut above the rest. I don’t know if humble is the right word but he’s just not full of himself, seems to value people and can admit mistakes.

    Well done Harry and team.

    1. I really liked reading about the work Sentebale and this center does/will do. It is so much more than purely treating orphans with HIV/AIDS. The therapy and the education about prevention and stopping the spread of the disease is wonderful. There is still such a huge stigma attached to HIV/AIDS (just look at the way the press handled Charlie Sheen’s recent announcement and the blind items before he came out) and opening up a constructive dialogue and creating awareness in a country that is so ravaged by the disease is crucial to stopping the spread of it.

  7. I have picked myself up from the floor. KMR, you know how to bring it with the pictures (insert slow clap). What a great event. I think that Harry wants to connect with people. That is the difference between him and W+K. They don’t want to connect. I think that he feeds off the energy of those around him and wants to touch and be touched.

    Harry is building us, I mean him, a legacy. And it is a beautiful thing to watch. As far as W+K, they bring nothing to the table. Nothing. And it is jarring.

    You are awesome, KMR.

      1. Oh, this was an awesome post. I know that I tend to look at Harry as all beefcake, he also has substance about him. There’s something to be said snout a man who looks good on the outside as he does on the inside. I think that Diana would be so proud of him.

        1. The fact that Harry does have substance, even with his lack of higher education, is a true testament to him. William may be more educated but Harry is much more proactive than William in terms of their respective royal work.

          1. I am an introvert. I tend to observe and cautiously wade in. Being around people zaps me and I only want to retreat.

            I think that William is more of an extrovert. He revels when he is the center of attention and loves telling “jokes” to get a reaction. I think of him more of a pompous, entitled, bully, jerk of a man than anything else.

          2. You mentioning that William loves being at the center of attention reminded me of those photos of William in his underwear and a pink boa. So you’re right he probably isn’t an introvert. I think pompous and arrogant are probably good words to describe him. We know he hates the press but he probably hates having to deal with the public as well, thinking he is above having to deal with them.

    1. Now that you mention feeding off the energy of others, I have to wonder if Harry is an extrovert and William is an introvert. I am an introvert and find it so difficult interacting with others because in order to be energized I have to pull that amount of energy from within myself. Whereas extroverts feed off the energy from those around them. That may be an explanation for why William has such a harder time connecting to the people he meets than Harry. Possibly?

      1. That’s a great observation KMR. I too am an introvert and have to frequently remind friends and family that if I disappear from a social event for a little while it has nothing to do with them or that I’m having a bad time, etc. it’s simply that I need a little time alone to recharge my batteries so to speak. I remember when Will and Kate got married I had high hopes because he seemed to come out of his shell more often when she was around but since the birth of George all that changed. I don’t know why or what happened,maybe becoming a father brought back emotions from losing his mother that he is just unable to deal with.

      2. Yeah I absolutely think William is an intro and Harry an extro. Otherwise the former wouldn’t be so remote, even on engagements. I speak as an intro with has to recharge his batteries after visiting with people by looking at Royal Family blogs. 🙂

  8. I hope you had a good thanksgiving KMR. Well done to Prince Harry putting into action ideas to help those children. Harry isn’t a natural speaker, however he gets up there and you can hear through his tone how he cares about his charity, and the children and taking part in the work. Harry really has transformed using his position as a platform to help change. Harry certainly has the emotional energy and intelligence. Well done Harry keep at it.

    1. I went to Cracker Barrel and it was yummy. I hope you had a good day, too, Laura. Re Harry not being a natural speaker: I think it says a lot about how he views his role and how important his work is to him that he is willing to step up and give speeches even though he has such a fear of public speaking.

  9. That is good to hear KMR. My second niece was born on Independence Day a couple of years ago and one of my cousins lives in California with her family and Thanksgiving is her favourite holiday. I did have mashed potato though after work for supper. Though researching the thanksgiving dishes it would be good to try out a few. I agree. I think Harry has come a long way. Before the army, Harry didn’t have much direction or purpose. Now he is outshining William in terms of work ethic. That really is sad.

  10. I like the way Harry honors his mother’s memory – by continuing her legacy of charity work – instead of using her as some kind of poster child for the evils of fame and press to get sympathy. And like the King of Lesotho I am also secretly hoping that Harry and his future wife visit said country someday if not on an official visit first but for their honeymoon. I’m sure Harry would be very eager to introduce her to the country that has come to mean so much to him.

      1. Jenny! How are you and the baby? I hope that the both of you are in good health and spirits.

        Yes, I am so ready. I’ve already have a honeymoon in mind.

        1. Rhiannon, do tell. We promise not to tip off the paps.

          All is well, thanks. I went on and on above in reply to KMR’s question as to how things are going. Madly in love with my daughter. Her daddy is, too.
          Just overwhelming all the care that one so little needs. It’s amazing how babies can truly rule the household. One whimper and we’re off and running to make everything ok for her. God made infants cute for a reason. You just cannot say no to them no matter how exhausted you are.

          1. That’s what family is for, Jenny. My mother throws my household into a frenzy when she visits. She is a good grandmother, but schedules go out of the door when she visits. Enjoy sweet, Maddie. They grow up so very fast.

            I am so very proud of Harry.

      2. HI Jenny
        I love that you have named your daughter Maddie. My favourite relative was/is my great grandmother who was called Madeleine. In every generation since there has always been at least one Maddie in the family, if not as a first name then as a middle name in her honour.
        And of course there is also the beautiful Madeleine of Sweden too!
        🙂

  11. This is a very nice post concerning the fine work Harry is doing. He continues to show the hard work and compassion of his late mother. I was very touched by his words and by all the work he tirelessly does. He does seem to be dedicated to many causes and doesn’t just do one quick presentation a year and move on.

    Harry also looks spectacular! He shines in the most positive of ways. I am certain Princess Diana is smiling down from Heaven. She must be so very proud of her youngest son.

    1. I’m sure Diana would be incredibly proud of Harry. He is the one who is continuing her legacy of charity work. Especially since he’s the one continuing the work with African orphans and HIV/AIDS.

  12. New to the comments section, but great post KMR! This speech was absolutely spot on for Harry…such a great way to highlight the TEN years of hard work it took to make the center a reality! Loved it!

    1. Hi Cassie!! Welcome to the comments section! This speech was really excellent; one of the best from Harry, I think.

      1. Yes it was! I didn’t comment before (just saw the pictures) because I wanted to read the entire post. Thanks for posting about Harry, KMR 🙂

        I’m thinking Harry has moved on from “resenting” his privileged and public life to embracing his role and getting to work at things/causes he truly cares. Either that, or he is the best actor, because he seems great at it 😉

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