Prince Harry Gives Meghan Markle, Princess Diana Special Shoutout In UN Speech

Prince Harry talked about the two most important women in his life, his wife Meghan Markle and his late mom Princess Diana, during his United Nations speech.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared in New York City Monday and joined the UN Assembly to celebrate Nelson Mandela Day. While addressing the assembly, Prince Harry spoke about his love of Africa and how it connected him to Markle and Princess Diana.

"For most of my life, it has been my lifeline, a place where I found peace and healing time and time again," Prince Harry said in his keynote speech, People reported. "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."

He recalled traveling to Botswana with Markle early in their relationship in 2016 — after just two dates over two consecutive days in London. He revealed that they got to know each other better during that trip.

"I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. We camped out with each other under the stars. She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic," Prince Harry said. "So then we were really by ourselves, which was crucial to me to make sure that we had a chance to know each other."

Prince William's brother has called Africa his "second home" and has made both public and private trips to the continent throughout the years. He has been involved in conservation work to save rhinos and elephants and has gotten to know its people's struggles.

In his speech, the Duke of Sussex also mentioned that he had a photo on his wall of Mandela with the late Princess of Wales, taken in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1997, which had been given to him by the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Prince Harry said that the "joy" on his mother's face in the picture was proof of her "pure delight to be in communion with another soul so committed to serving humanity." He added that Mandela was also "beaming" and "buoyant" despite all the hardships he endured.

Prince Harry praised the late South African leader for still being able to see the goodness in humanity and for having a "beautiful spirit that lifted everyone around him." The duke added that though Mandela saw the ugliness and the injustices of the world clearly, he knew "we could overcome them."

Describing "a painful year in a painful decade," Prince Harry mentioned in his speech the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change issues, the war in Ukraine, the spread of disinformation and the "rolling back of constitutional rights here in the United States," referring to the Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade.

However, he encouraged everyone to "do what Mandela did" and find "meaning and purpose in the struggle."