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'My mother didn't mince her words and nor will I': Prince Harry follows Diana's footsteps with speech on Aids and poverty
http://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/news/article-1197148/My-mother-didnt-mince-words-I-Prince-Harry-follows-Dianas-footsteps-speech-Aids-poverty.html

By Rebecca English Last updated at 8:09 PM on 02nd July 2009


Prince Harry plans to speak on globally important issues, much like his mother, the late Princess Diana


Princess Diana was keen to use her platform to change the world

Prince Harry has signalled his determination to follow in his late's mother's footsteps by making his first political speech on the issue of Aids and global poverty.

Speaking at a reception to mark the third anniversary of his charity, Sentebale, the prince said he 'aspired' to follow Princess Diana's example in fighting for 'the deprived and afflicted'.

Harry, who has until now shied away from public speaking, told friends beforehand that 'my mother didn't mince her words and nor will I'.

The 24-year-old royal, whose charity supports Aids orphans and other vulnerable youngsters in the tiny, land-locked African kingdom of Lesotho, told his audience that its people were being 'threatened with destruction' by the problems facing them.

The country suffers from extreme poverty and has the third highest rate of HIV/Aids in the world, despite having a population of just 1.8 million people.

Currently there are around 400,000 children left orphaned by the disease and the figure is expected to rise dramatically as three per cent of the country's population are dying each year.

The Prince used his speech to call on the worldwide community to 'sit up and take notice' of what he described as a 'forgotten kingdom' which was being ravaged by death and disease.

Princess Diana turned royal protocol on its head when she chose to speak openly about causes close to her heart such as Aids and bereavement.

The highly-public campaign she was running against landmines at the time of her death in 1997 led some to describe her as a 'loose cannon' and object to her 'meddling' in political affairs, while others praised her for bringing the issue to international attention.

A source close to Harry said: 'This was his most outspoken speech yet. While he knows he needs to get more experience under his belt before he can project himself on the global stage as she did, the one thing he learnt from her was the value of being blunt. He knows the only way to solve the crisis facing Lesotho at the moment is to be blunt about its problems and blunt about the solutions needed.'

Harry set up Sentebale in the memory of his late mother with the aim of transforming the lives of  orphans in Lesotho following a trip to the region in his gap year.

Yesterday he proudly showed off one of its first success stories, which only a year ago was little more than a collection of run-down huts at the end of a dusty, rutted track, but now is a school for 52 profoundly disabled children.

This time last year Harry went out to Lesotho for three weeks with a group of men from the Household Cavalry to work on The Thuso Centre, which was in state of major disrepair.

The buildings have now been totally refurbished and filled with equipment for the children.

New electrics and plumbing have also been installed as has a new sceptic tank plus wheelchair ramps for the most severely disabled youngsters.

The entire building programme is set to cost more than £250,000 with much of the money has coming from the proceeds of the Diana Memorial Concert organised by Harry and his elder brother, William.

Sentebale has been on the receiving end of some negative publicity and seen public donations slump by 84 per cent to £250,000.

Its accounts show that by the end of last August the charity came close to going 'broke' with only £53,000 left in the bank while one local organisation working with physically and sexually abused children has accused the charity of failing to meet its commitments, an accusation vehemently denied by Sentebale executives.

Last night the prince, who recently flew to New York to raise the charity's profile, insisted that those issues were behind them as he toasted its success at a reception in London.

Harry met Sentebale supporters, staff and trustees and was joined by co-Patron Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.

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