Harry continues Diana's legacy in Africa

After retracing his mother's footsteps in Africa on Friday, you'd think that would've been enough of an emotional trip for Prince Harry. But he wasn't finished — not even close. Harry continued Princess Diana's work in Angola before moving on to Malawi, where he is making his own mark.Harry kicked off Saturday with a visit to the presidential palace, where he met with President João Lourenço to thank him not for welcoming him to the country where his mother made such an impact, and for continuing to put a spotlight on an issue that is so important to them: ridding the world of land mines. That was only the beginning, of course. As we all know, Diana's other passion was shattering the stigma surrounding those with HIV and AIDS. And Harry gave that his full attention later in the day as he met with a group of HIV+ teens. The Born Free to Shine project in Luanda, the country's capital, was launched by First Lady Ana Dias Lourenço, and focuses on education, medical testing and treatment to prevent mother-to-baby HIV/AIDS transmission. Like Diana, Harry did more than just visit the neonatal ward of the hospital, he also chatted with expectant mothers and HIV+ teenagers.In April 1987, Diana opened the U.K.'s first hospital unit dedicated to treating those with HIV and AIDS, and an iconic photograph of a gloveless Diana shaking hands with an AIDS patient changed the world's perception of the condition.And while Harry was doing important work and continuing his mother's legacy, Meghan was also on a mission — to champion women's rights and highlight violence against women in South Africa (and around the world, in general). The Palace revealed that Meghan had private appearances last week, which is what we love about her: she simply hunkers down and gets to work, no fanfare required. The first was to a memorial for Uyinene Mrwetyana, the 19-year-old student who was raped and murdered in August.

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“Simi kunye kulesisimo” – ‘We stand together in this moment’ The Duchess of Sussex has tied a ribbon at the site where 19-year-old Cape Town student Uyinene Mrwetyana was murdered last month, to pay her respects and to show solidarity with those who have taken a stand against gender based violence and femicide. Over the last month in Capetown, protests erupted through the streets in outrage over GBV in South Africa. The Duke and Duchess had been following what had happened from afar and were both eager to learn more when they arrived in South Africa. The Duchess spoke to the mother of Uyinene this week to relay their condolences. Visiting the site of this tragic death and being able to recognise Uyinene, and all women and girls effected by GBV (specifically in South Africa, but also throughout the world) was personally important to The Duchess. Uyinene’s death has mobilised people across South Africa in the fight against gender based violence, and is seen as a critical point in the future of women’s rights in South Africa. The Duchess has taken private visits and meetings over the last two days to deepen her understanding of the current situation and continue to advocate for the rights of women and girls. For more information on the recent events in South Africa, please see link in bio. #AmINext

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Meghan also met with some of the country's female activists. After the sit-down, she posted a photo of what she learned. "In sitting down with these forward thinkers, it was abundantly clear - it is not enough to simply hope for a better future; the only way forward is "hope in action." I'm eager to spend the next few days in South Africa continuing to learn, listen and absorb the resilience and optimism I've felt here."

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“On Thursday we convened a meeting of minds - a group of women ranging from a legendary anti-apartheid activist, female parliamentarians, professors, educators and policy makers to discuss the rights of women in South Africa. In the lead up to this tour it weighed heavily on my heart to see the countless violations against women, and I wanted to spend my time on the ground learning about the situation at hand. One of the guests, Sophia Williams-De Bruyn was just 18 years old when in 1956 she led 20,000 women to march on the Union Buildings in Pretoria in protest of apartheid pass laws. She is the last living leader of the march, and today, a symbol of those who fight for fundamental human rights - For her it is simple - she fights for what is right. Issues of gender inequality affect women throughout the world, independent of race, color, creed, or socioeconomic background. In the last week I’ve met with women from all walks of life - religious leaders such as the first female rabbi in Capetown, grassroots leaders in Nyanga at Mbokodo, community activists, parliamentarians, and so many more. In sitting down with these forward thinkers, it was abundantly clear - it is not enough to simply hope for a better future; the only way forward is “hope in action.” I’m eager to spend the next few days in South Africa continuing to learn, listen and absorb the resilience and optimism I’ve felt here.“ -Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Sussex

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Harry travelled to Malawi on Sunday and met with young women who were able to get an education through the Campaign for Female Education, an initiative supported by the Queen's Commonwealth Trust, of which Harry and Meghan are president and vice-president, respectively. And while Meg wasn't physically able to make the trip to Malawi, she did join them on Skype.

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Hello Malawi ??, it’s South Africa ?? calling! Another incredible day on #RoyalVisitAfrica as The Duke arrived in Malawi, with The Duchess joining him via Skype to speak to women and girls who went to school with the support of CAMA and @camfed. Afterwards, The Duke was able to meet President Peter Mutharika and thank him for the wonderful welcome in his country. Today, The Duchess of Sussex linked up with Nalikule College, Lilongwe, to join The Duke and an amazing group of women who attended school through the help @camfed and its 20-year-old alumni network CAMA. These CAMA women are part of a major network across Africa, which has 140,000 members and 17,500 in Malawi alone. These positive female role models, leaders and entrepreneurs, are working to lift their communities out of poverty. Money distributed by CAMA goes directly to each of their alumni, who then use their own resources to support another three children to attend school. Along with support from the @Queens_Commonwealth_Trust, CAMA and @camfed are changing the lives of many young girls though education and empowerment. As President and Vice President of the QCT, The Duke and Duchess both believe in the power of education to empower young girls, and change society as a whole. #RoyalVisitMalawi #RoyalVisitSouthAfrica Video©️SussexRoyal

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Sep 29, 2019 at 12:41pm PDT

Once he wrapped up with the fun stuff, Harry had to get his formalwear on as he met with President Peter Mutharika, then attended a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner.

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Today, The Duchess of Sussex linked up with Nalikule College, Lilongwe, to join The Duke and an amazing group of women who attended school through the help @camfed and its 20-year-old alumni network CAMA. These CAMA women are part of a major network across Africa, which has 140,000 members and 17,500 in Malawi alone. These positive female role models, leaders and entrepreneurs, are working to lift their communities out of poverty. Money distributed by CAMA goes directly to each of their alumni, who then use their own resources to support another three children to attend school. Along with support from the @Queens_Commonwealth_Trust, CAMA and @camfed are changing the lives of many young girls though education and empowerment. As President and Vice President of the QCT, The Duke and Duchess both believe in the power of education to empower young girls, and change society as a whole. #RoyalVisitMalawi #RoyalVisitSouthAfrica Photo ©️ PA images

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Sep 29, 2019 at 8:07am PDT

For Monday, his last day on his own, Harry flew to Liwonde National Park where he paid tribute to Guardsman Mathew Talbot of the Coldstream Guards, who lost his life on an anti-poaching patrol.

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Side by side with local park rangers in Liwonde National Park, The Duke of Sussex has laid a wreath at the memorial of Guardsman Matthew Talbot. Guardsman Talbot, who was just 22, lost his life earlier this year while on a joint anti-poaching mission with the British Army, the Malawian government and African Parks. The Counter-Poaching Operation is an on-going partnership that requires local organisations such as @AfricanParksNetwork to monitor and protect wildlife from poachers, so that communities can benefit from tourism. These patrols by African Park Rangers can last between 10 hours and 8 days. Guardsmen Talbot was incredibly proud of his role in countering this threat and had played a huge part in the progress and success so far. The Duke laid the wreath on behalf of the Talbot family, and said he was honoured to be able to do so, as he has worked closely with park rangers in these efforts and celebrates each and every one of them as heroes. Often away from the public eye, many people are prepared to put themselves in harm’s way, in a bid to protect wildlife from poachers. The joint missions, with support of the local community, were established by The Duke and have proven to reduce poacher activity. #RoyalVisitMalawi Photo ©️ PA images

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Sep 30, 2019 at 2:56am PDT

Harry, perhaps inspired by the social media prowess of his wife, has taken over National Geographic's Instagram feed and shared a pic he took from the park. "As part of this takeover, I am inviting you to be a part of our 'Looking Up' social campaign," he wrote. "To help launch the campaign, here is a photograph I took today here in Liwonde of Baobab trees."

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Photo by @sussexroyal | We are pleased to announce that Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex @sussexroyal is guest-editing our Instagram feed today! “Hi everyone! I’m so happy to have the opportunity to continue working with @NatGeo and to guest-edit this Instagram account; it’s one of my personal favourites. Today I’m in Liwonde National Park, Malawi an important stop on our official tour of Southern Africa, planting trees for The Queens Commonwealth Canopy. As part of this takeover, I am inviting you to be a part of our ‘Looking Up’ social campaign. To help launch the campaign, here is a photograph I took today here in Liwonde of Baobab trees. #LookingUp is to raise awareness of the vital role trees play in the earth’s eco-system, and an opportunity for all of us to take a moment, to appreciate the beauty of our surroundings. So, join us today and share your own view, by looking up! Post images of the trees in your local community using the hashtag #LookingUp. I will be posting my favourite images from @NatGeo photographers here throughout the day, and over on @SussexRoyal I will be sharing some of my favourite images from everything you post. I can’t wait to see what you see when you’re #LookingUp ? ?” ••• His Royal Highness is currently on an official tour to further the ‘Queens Commonwealth Canopy’ which was launched in 2015. Commonwealth countries have been invited to submit forests and national parks to be protected and preserved as well as to plant trees. The Duke has helped QCC projects in the Caribbean, UK, New Zealand, Australia, Botswana, Malawi and Tonga. Now, almost 50 countries are taking part and have dedicated indigenous forests for conservation, and committed to planting millions of new trees to help combat climate change. The Duke’s longtime passion for trees and forests as nature’s simple solution to the environmental issues we face, has been inspired by the work he has been doing on behalf of his grandmother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for many years.

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Sep 30, 2019 at 4:57am PDT

Meghan and Archie are reportedly headed to Johannesburg, where they'll reunite with Harry and conclude their royal tour in the country's largest city.