Prins Harry treedt in voetsporen Diana

27 september 2019

Prins Harry maakte vrijdag een bijzondere stop tijdens zijn tiendaagse reis naar Afrika. De hertog van Sussex bezocht een mijnenveld in Angola, precies dezelfde plek die zijn moeder Diana 22 jaar geleden aandeed eveneens met de organisatie HALO Trust.

Prins Harry maakte vrijdag een bijzondere stop tijdens zijn tiendaagse reis naar Afrika. De hertog van Sussex bezocht een mijnenveld in Angola, precies dezelfde plek die zijn moeder Diana 22 jaar geleden aandeed eveneens met de organisatie HALO Trust.

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Following in the footsteps of his mother, Princess Diana, this morning The Duke of Sussex visited a de-mining site in Dirico, Angola, to raise awareness of the danger and prevalence of landmines that still exists today. The Duke joined @thehalotrust in their work to help clear the area to enable safe access for the local community. • “If an international ban on mines can be secured it means, looking far ahead, that the world may be a safer place for this generation's grandchildren.” – Princess Diana, 1997 Today in Angola The Duke of Sussex will retrace his mother’s steps to see the legacy of her work and how her connection with this community helped make the elimination of landmines a reality. In 1997 Diana Princess of Wales visited Huambo to bring global attention to the crisis of landmines and the people whose lives were being destroyed. Two decades later, the area has transformed from desolate and unhabitable to lively and vibrant, with colleges, schools and small businesses. The Duke is humbled to be visiting a place and a community that was so special to his mother, and to recognise her tireless mission as an advocate for all those she felt needed her voice the most, even if the issue was not universally popular. Princess Diana’s visit helped change the course of history, and directly led to the Convention against Anti-Personal Landmines, also known as the Ottawa Treaty. Today, with the support of @thehalotrust, Angola now has a stated aim under the Treaty to be clear of known mines by 2025. Despite great progress, 60 million people worldwide still live in fear of landmines every day. During his visit today, The Duke will walk along the street which was once the minefield where his mother was famously pictured. #RoyalVisitAfrica #RoyalVisitAngola Photo©️PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Sep 27, 2019 at 12:12am PDT

Diana bezocht in 1997 het landmijnenveld in Huambo, waar de iconische foto werd gemaakt van de prinses in beschermende kledij. Net als zoon Harry nu zette de Britse prinses zich in voor het verwijderen van landmijnen. Tijdens haar bezoek deed Diana de beroemde uitspraak waarin ze mijnen een humanitaire en politieke issue noemde. Dit werd haar destijds niet door iedereen in dank afgenomen. Zo werd ze door een Britse minister een ongeleid projectiel genoemd.

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“If an international ban on mines can be secured it means, looking far ahead, that the world may be a safer place for this generation's grandchildren.” – Princess Diana, 1997 Today in Angola The Duke of Sussex will retrace his mother’s steps to see the legacy of her work and how her connection with this community helped make the elimination of landmines a reality. In 1997 Diana Princess of Wales visited Huambo to bring global attention to the crisis of landmines and the people whose lives were being destroyed. Two decades later, the area has transformed from desolate and uninhabitable to lively and vibrant, with colleges, schools and small businesses. The Duke is humbled to be visiting a place and a community that was so special to his mother, and to recognise her tireless mission as an advocate for all those she felt needed her voice the most, even if the issue was not universally popular. Princess Diana’s visit helped change the course of history, and directly led to the Convention against Anti-Personal Landmines, also known as the Ottawa Treaty. Today, with the support of @thehalotrust, Angola now has a stated aim under the Treaty to be clear of known mines by 2025. Despite great progress, 60 million people worldwide still live in fear of landmines every day. During his visit today, The Duke will walk along the street which was once the minefield where his mother was famously pictured. #RoyalTourAfrica #RoyalVisitAngola Photo©️PA

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Sep 26, 2019 at 11:15pm PDT

Harry wandelde vrijdag net als zijn moeder door het voormalige mijnenveld, de landmijnen werden hier tussen 2004 en 2005 geruimd. Valdemar Goncalves Fernandes, operationeel manager die zowel in 1997 als vrijdag van de partij was, vindt het erg bijzonder dat hij nu ook de prins ontmoet. “Ik was blij verrast toen ik hoorde dat ik prins Harry tref op precies dezelfde plek als prinses Diana 22 jaar geleden”, liet hij weten aan CNN.

Eerbetoon

Na zijn bezoek aan het mijnenveld zal Harry, wederom net als zijn moeder, langsgaan bij het Huambo Orthopaedic Centre. Het medisch centrum, waar slachtoffers van mijnen worden behandeld, wordt als eerbetoon vernoemd naar Diana.

Harry is met Meghan en Archie in Afrika. Vrouw en zoon zijn echter niet meegereisd naar Angola, maar achtergebleven in Zuid-Afrika.