Prince Harry follows in Princess Diana’s footsteps by walking through minefield on royal tour

‘Landmines are an unhealed scar of war,’ duke says at minefield in Angola

The Duke of Sussex has followed in the footsteps of his mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales, by walking through an Angolan minefield.

On the fifth day of the royal tour being undertaken by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry took part in a solo engagement to a partially cleared minefield in Dirico, Angola.

The duke wore body armour and a protective visor as he walked through an area which had once been an artillery base for anti-government forces, who mined the land in 2000.

Having been given a safety briefing – during which he was told only to walk on the cleared lanes and not to touch anything or run – the royal walked down a pathway surrounded by red signs, which read: “Perrigo minas!” in Portuguese, meaning: “Danger mines!”.

The pictures taken of Prince Harry at the minefield are reminiscent of those captured of Princess Diana, who visited Angola in 1997 in an effort to raise awareness of the threat of minefields.

The Duke of Sussex walks through a minefield in Dirico, Angola, during a visit to see the work of landmine clearance charity the Halo Trust (Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)

Prince Harry visited the minefield to learn more about the work of Halo Trust, a non-profit organisation which clears landmines and other explosives in countries where conflict has occurred.

While on the landmine site, the duke delivered a speech in which he praised the Halo Trust for helping the community of Dirico “find peace”.

“Landmines are an unhealed scar of war,” he said. “By clearing the landmines, we can help this community find peace, and with peace comes opportunity.

“Additionally, we can protect the diverse and unique wildlife that relies on the beautiful Kuito river that I slept beside last night.”

Diana, Princess of Wales wearing a bombproof visor during her visit to a minefield in Huambo, in Angola, on January 15 1997 (John Stillwell/PA Wire)

Prince Harry also urged for remaining landmines in the Angolan highlands to be cleared, which were placed there during the country’s civil war that endured from 1975 until 2002.

“It is fitting that this project starts in Dirico, at the convergence of the two rivers that flow from Angola’s islands down to the Okavango Delta,” the duke said.

“These two rivers provide water and life to over a million people downstream and an essential and incredibly delicate habitat for an abundance of wildlife.”

A photograph of Princess Diana, which was taken during her 1997 visit to Angola, was shared on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s official Instagram account.

“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,” a statement made by Diana in 1997 read in the picture’s caption.

The caption stated that the duke felt “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”.

“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,” the caption added.

Several Instagram users expressed their pride in Prince Harry retracing his mother’s footsteps.

“I cannot love this enough. She would be so proud,” one person wrote.

“Bless the duke’s heart for following in his mum’s footsteps,” another commented.

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