Prince Harry revealed Africa as his place to escape after Princess Diana's death

'Now I feel deeply connected to this place and to Africa'

'Now I feel deeply connected to this place and to Africa'

The Sussex family are officially on tour, with Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and of course baby Archie travelling to South Africa for the first leg of their 10-day tour.

Since their arrival, the family of three have made non-stop news, from baby Archie’s first appearance to the Duke and Duchess ripping up the royal rulebook, asking for the public not to curtsy or address them by title.

The most news however has come from the tributes to Princess Diana, with eagle-eyed royal fans spotting nods to the late Princess of Wales throughout the tour, from Archie’s bobble hat to Harry’s retracing of her footsteps at Angola landmine fields.

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Prince Harry surprised everyone however when he gave a touching speech about his mother after arriving in Botswana on Thursday, explaining how important Africa was to him and how it had been his escape following Princess Diana’s death.

’15 years I've been coming here, it's a sense of escapism, a real sense of purpose,’ Prince Harry explained to reporters. ’I have some of my closest friends here and I came here in 1997 or 1998 straight after my mum died, so it was a nice place to get away from it all.’

He continued: ‘Now I feel deeply connected to this place and to Africa.’

We're wishing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle a happy rest of their tour!

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.