Prince Harry has opened up about the place where he feels most connected to his mother

(Image credit: Getty Images for Global Citizen)

Prince Harry has always had a deep connection to Africa, choosing to spend a lot of him time there since childhood.

The connection he credits to the women in his life, namely his late mother Princess Diana, who was known to love the area and carried out vital campaign work for humanitarian causes on the continent.

This week, during his United Nations keynote speech to mark Nelson Mandela International Day, Prince Harry spoke about his love of Africa, explaining that it was a place where he felt a deep connection to his mother.

"I’ve always found hope on the continent. In fact, for most of my life, it has been my lifeline, a place where I found peace and healing time and time again," he explained, via People.

"On my wall and in my heart, every day is an image of my mother and Mandela meeting in Cape Town in 1997," he continued. "When I first looked at the photo, straight away, what jumped out was the joy on my mother's face."

"It's where I felt closest to my mother and sought solace after she died, and where I knew I had found a soulmate in my wife."

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited Botswana together at the very start of their relationship, returning to the continent for their 2019 royal tour.

In fact, Prince Harry even chose a diamond from Botswana to be the main jewel in Meghan Markle's engagement ring - a beautiful nod to the place that's so special to them.

"I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana and we camped out with each other under the stars," Prince Harry has previously said of their time there. "Then we were really by ourselves, which was crucial to me to make sure that we had a chance to get to know each other."

Well, this is lovely.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.