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It's been announced that Prince Harry will be embarking on a solo trip to Southern Africa this coming month. The visit is being organized through his conservation and youth empowerment charity Sussex Royal, which he co-founded back in 2006. However, this time his wife Meghan Markle will not be joining him.
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Harry has seemingly been relegated to a "do not invite" list when it comes to royal engagements following he and Meghan's decision to step back from their senior royal roles. His trip comes shortly after he will be attending the WellChild Awards in the UK later this month. While no exact dates have been released, the visit is expected to take place sometime in October.
The stated purpose of the trip is for Harry to meet with leaders from organizations focusing on issues in Southern Africa like prosperity, sustainability, and community development. He will be holding a series of meetings in the capitals of Lesotho and South Africa - Maseru and Johannesburg respectively. As always, Harry seems to be carrying on his mother Princess Diana's legacy by engaging in philanthropic causes and bringing global attention to challenges in Africa.
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However, some question whether Harry's true motives are entirely altruistic. His timing comes under a month before Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, will be hosting the inaugural Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in South Africa. Last year, Harry organized a high-profile polo event in Singapore around the same time William announced the inaugural Earthshot would take place there, fueling rumors of a rivalry between the brothers.
The trip also follows ongoing backlash in South Africa over comments made by Meghan during a podcast last year. She recounted feeling upset and crying after hearing of a fire in then-baby Archie's bedroom during the Sussexes' royal tour of South Africa in 2019. Local media and many South Africans criticized her for focusing too heavily on herself rather than appreciating the warmth of the welcome. The hashtags "VoetsekMeghan" (meaning "Go away Meghan") and others criticizing her behavior soon trended on social media in the country.
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With these factors in mind, some see Harry's trip as a poorly timed attempt to overshadow brother William or distract from the ongoing controversy surrounding Meghan's comments. There are also questions over whether South Africans will give Harry as warm a reception as before, still stinging from Meghan's remarks. And alongside promoting his charity's initiatives, there is speculation Harry hopes to reclaim relevance as it seems his and Meghan's celebrity status is fading compared to the more stable and hard working Cambridge's.
However, if the trip is more about chasing headlines and one-upping William than meaningful engagement, it risks backfiring and further damaging Harry's reputation in South Africa where many felt deeply disrespected by Meghan's podcast claims. With security for Royals coming at great public expense, some argue Harry's priorities seem misplaced if he is using taxpayer money simply to prove he remains newsworthy. His antics may get attention in the short-term but are unlikely to recast his public image now overshadowed by William's growing stature on the global stage.
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During the visit, Harry is said to be convening a group of leaders from organizations like Google.org and various non-profits to discuss initiatives around technology and community empowerment in Southern African nations. As president and founder of Sussex Royal, supporting projects focused on environmental protection, mental health, women's empowerment and more, this kind of convening could allow for useful collaboration and partnership.
However, there remains skepticism that Harry's motives are purely altruistic given the suspicions over efforts to one-up William and distract from controversies surrounding his wife. While youth advocacy and sustainability efforts in Africa certainly deserve attention and support, it remains to be seen if Harry can avoid the appearance of self-promotion and refocus the narrative solely on the causes rather than himself. His commitment will face closer scrutiny than ever before, and he risks undermining even well-meaning efforts if perceived as more about his own relevance than meaningful impact.
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Ultimately, perhaps the biggest question mark hangs over whether South Africans will give Harry as warm a reception as before following Meghan's remarks straining relations. If local feedback is negative and the optics suggest self-promotion over service, this trip risks becoming more of an embarrassment that further tarnishes Harry's public image abroad rather than the opportunity to advocate for important issues in Africa. His commitment to creating positive change will face its most important test yet on this solo journey. How successfully he can steer focus to the causes rather than perceptions of rivalry or self-interest will determine whether his trip leaves a constructive legacy or merely fuels further criticisms of his priorities and judgment.
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