THE DUKE and DUCHESS OF SUSSEX voice their concern for the world – and Harry plays polo
CALL FOR ACTION TO HELP THE ‘FRAGILE’ WORLD
The
Duke of Sussex was on winning form last week, taking part in a polo match in Aspen, Colorado, to raise funds for his beloved charity Sentebale.
P r i n c e Harr y ’ s surprise appearance at the event – at which he scored two goals – also saw him promise $ 1.5m (£ 1.1m) of the proceeds from his forthcoming memoir to the organisation, which supports children affected by HIV and Aids in the African countries of Lesotho and Botswana.
“This is one of several donations I plan to make to charitable organisations and I’m grateful to be able to give back in this way for the children and communities who gravely need it,” he said.
Sentebale and the plight of children weren’t the only causes to gain Harry’s attention last week. Together with his wife the Duchess, he spoke out about the unfolding crises in the world, saying they were “speechless” and “heartbroken”.
In a joint statement shared on their Archewell website, the couple wrote: “The world is exceptionally fragile right now.”
Harry, 36, and Meghan, 40, were reacting to events in Afghanistan, where Taliban militants last week seized control, leading to chaos as people tried to flee the country, and the magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Haiti that killed more than 2,000 people.
They also referred to the Covid-19 pandemic and rumours surrounding it.
They wrote: “As we all feel the many layers of pain due to the situation in Afghanistan, we are left speechless. As we all watch the growing humanitarian disaster in Haiti, and the threat of it worsening after last weekend’s earthquake, we
Harry sees active service during his first tour of duty in Afghanistan are left heartbroken. And as we all witness the continuing global health crisis, exacerbated by new variants and constant misinformation, we are left scared.”
They continued: “When any person or community suffers, a piece of each of us does so with them, whether we realize it or not. And though we are not meant to live in a state of suffering, we, as a people, are being conditioned to accept it.
“It’s easy to find ourselves feeling powerless, but we can put our values into action – together.”
ARMY MEMORIES
Archewell, a not- for- profit organisation, is supporting the emergency response in Haiti with its partner World Central Kitchen and highlighted other organisations doing good work, such as Women for Afghan Women, Afghanaid, Mercy Corps and Invictus, the foundation launched by Harry to help injured and sick veterans.
Afghanistan is a country the Duke understands well, having served on the front line in two tours of duty there during his time with the army.
It was also on his mind as he issued a joint statement in his role as patron of the Invictus Games Foundation, together with chairman Lord Allen of Kensington and chief executive Dominic Reid.
“What’s happening in Afghanistan resonates across the international Invictus community,” it said. “We encourage everybody across the Invictus network – and the wider military community – to reach out to each other and offer support for one another.”