Prince Harry issues new plea during solo tour in Southern Africa

Prince Harry has a message for the 'people at the top'. Photo / Getty Images

Prince Harry delivered some blunt words in Southern Africa as his weeks-long solo trip continues.

Prince Harry has called on “people at the top” to “start listening” in a passionate speech during his trip to Africa without wife Meghan Markle.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, is currently in the midst of a flurry of solo trips, which began with a jam-packed few days in New York City before he set off back to London to present at the annual WellChild Awards. He then flew to Lesotho on Tuesday.

The visit – his first time back in Southern Africa in five years – included a reunion with Prince Seeiso, with whom he co-founded the charity Sentebale, in 2006, to help support children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana living with or at risk from HIV.

During a bonfire at a children’s centre, Harry spoke of the impact of Sentebale on the region.

“We’re hitting the targets, not just Sentebale but all of the departments are, and it’s making a massive difference, and it is this surge of energy and optimism and the voice of young people ranging from 6 to 25 – and the biggest difference of which really needs more work, is when people from the top start listening.”

The prince will be undertaking engagements associated with Sentebale over the next week, visiting centres and showcasing the charity’s work to new and existing donors.

Lesotho has held a special place in Harry’s heart for two decades, having spent months of his teenage gap year there in 2004.

Prince Harry at the WellChild Awards 2024 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel. Photo / Getty Images

It comes just days after Harry made a heartwarming appearance alongside seriously ill children and their families at the UK’s WellChild Awards, of which he’s been patron for 16 years.

During a candid chat with one of this year’s young award recipients, Noah Nicholson, Harry let slip an adorable detail about his rarely seen 3-year-old daughter, Lilibet.

The duke had noticed the 7-year-old boy had a giraffe toy, which happened to be the same one he’d had during their first meeting back in 2019.

“Is this the same one? No way! Every parent has a spare. I’ve got at least six spares,” Harry revealed. “My daughter Lili has these Lovies [soft toy].”

The London visit, off the back of Harry’s high-profile trip to New York City, is his second solo return to the UK in a matter of weeks.

At the end of August, the duke was back in his home country to attend a memorial service for his uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes.