On their historic first royal tour together, princes William and Harry prove they have come of age in the image of their beloved mother, carrying on her caring legacy. Suellen Dainty reports.
It’s been dubbed the “budget special” or the “buy-one, get-one-free” offer. Officially, though, this is known as the first royal overseas tour by princes William and Harry together. They chose Africa for the historic event, with Prince Harry arriving on June 14 and his elder brother the next day.
The setting could not be more scenic – Botswana and the kingdom of Lesotho, a long-standing favourite of both young men. Yet the two countries could not be more different. Botswana, rich in wildlife and diamonds, is one of the continent’s most prosperous nations, while Lesotho, beset by poverty and HIV/AIDS, is one of its poorest.
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The charities backed by the princes are different as well. Prince William supports Tusk, a long-established wildlife and conservation charity active throughout Botswana and Kenya. Prince Harry has chosen Sentebale, the charity he and Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso founded to help educate and support orphans and HIV-positive children in Lesotho.
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After their laddish years of London clubs and late-night parties, this tour was an opportunity for both princes to prove their maturity and acceptance of their regal responsibilities. That they were performing to a 60-strong international press corps would have jangled the nerves of even the most steely. Yet both men have clearly grown up and are happy to be back in the country they love almost as much as England. William visited Botswana in his gap year and Harry has travelled to the country at least 10 times, mostly in a private capacity.
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Read more of this article in the July issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
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