The royal has been involved with the organisation for years. Now, he has been promoted. Photo / AP
The royal has been involved with the organisation for years. Now, he has been promoted. Photo / AP
Prince Harry’s latest career move is a cause close to his heart.
The Duke of Sussex has been appointed in his new role as a member of the Board of Directors for African Parks Network, South Africa, reports People.
African Parks Network, South Africa manages the national parks across the continent and takes on direct responsibility for the rehabilitation and long-term management of protected areas in partnership with governments and local communities.
Prince Harry first got involved with the non-profit conservation group back in 2016 and became president of the group a year later.
His new role was noted in his bio for African Parks, however it isn’t yet known exactly when he started assisting the governing body.
“Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex is a humanitarian, military veteran, mental wellness advocate, and environmentalist,” his bio page states.
Prince Harry visiting a crime scene of a rhino killed by poachers in Kruger National Park South Africa. Photo / Paul Edwards .
“The Duke has dedicated his life’s work to advancing causes that he is passionate about, and that bring about permanent change for people and places.
“For over two decades, he has taken a deep personal interest in frontline conservation projects across Africa that work to protect the region’s natural resources and wildlife, for the benefit of local communities.”
His biography now reads, “In 2023, after serving six years as President, he was elevated to an officially appointed member of the Board of Directors, the governing body of the organisation.”
Prince Harry first partnered with African Parks in 2016 to help launch the 500 Elephants project in Malawi, which - to this day - is one of the largest and most important elephant translocations in conservation history.
The Duke of Sussex has been closely involved with the organisation ever since, co-hosting US officials, conservationists and philanthropists in 2022 on a tour of protected wildlife and nature reserves in Zambia, Mozambique and Rwanda in August 2022.
Britain's Prince Harry shows children a photograph he has taken during a visit to a herd boy night school constructed by his charity Sentebale in Mokhotlong, Lesotho, December 8, 2014. Photo / AP
Dubbing Africa “his second home”, the royal has visited the continent on various occasions since visiting for the first time when he was a young boy. The prince has made many official royal visits to Africa, as well as many private ones over the years.
In 2006, Harry co-founded Sentebale with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho - a charity which supports children and young people in the southern parts of Africa whose lives have been affected by poverty, inequality, HIV/AIDS, and most recently, Covid-19.
A shot from Harry and Meghan’s trip to Botswana, seen in the new show. Photo / Netflix
Africa also holds a lot of special memories for Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, seeing as though it is the place where their romance blossomed seven years ago. The couple has visited Africa many times throughout their relationship, most notably visiting Botswana early in the summer of 2016, after only two back-to-back dates in London.
The Duke of Sussex later proposed with an engagement ring made with an ethically sourced diamond from Botswana (along with two smaller gems from Princess Diana’s personal jewellery collection), and the pair returned to Africa in 2017 to mark Meghan’s 36th birthday, where they helped locals with elephant tracking.
In 2021, Harry narrated a re-release of African Parks’ Hope Starts Here clip for Earth Day and paid tribute to the legacy of his grandfather Prince Philip, who was also a dedicated conservationist.
This #EarthDay , Prince Harry & African Parks shine a light on the role effectively managed protected areas play in preserving biodiversity & in delivering benefits to local communities in a special re-release of the video “Hope Starts Here”.
“As we now begin to move towards an era of global recovery and regeneration, it’s critical that we continue to look at the strengthening and protecting of biodiversity, not just as a value we hold — but as a responsibility that is vital to our way of life,” Prince Harry said in a statement.
“On this Earth Day, I reflect on generations of conservation champions, including my late grandfather, and feel proud and energized to continue doing my part in this legacy,” he shared. “This year especially, I join the incredible African Parks team and communities around the world in shared dedication to our environment and collective well-being.”
