Prince Harry has revealed he ‘feels pressure’ to give children ‘the future they deserve’ in a heartfelt open letter about the global impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the extinction crisis.
The Duke of Sussex, 35, who is currently isolating in Tyler Perry’s $18 million mansion in Beverly Hills, shared the note with African Parks as it released its annual report.
In the letter, Prince Harry wrote: ‘Since becoming a father, I feel the pressure is even greater to ensure we can give our children the future they deserve, a future that hasn’t been taken from them, and a future full of possibility and opportunity.’
Despite stepping back from royal life at the end of March, the Duke has been permitted to continue to work with his patronages and charities like African Parks, which he became president of in 2017.
Prince Harry, 35, has revealed in an open letter how becoming a father has left him feeling ‘a pressure’ to ensure ‘we can give our children the future they deserve’
In the letter, which was shared online by royal reporter Omid Scobie, Prince Harry commented on his profound connection with the continent, writing: ‘I have always loved wild places….[and] been grateful for what wild places provide.
‘Since my first trip to Africa as a young boy, I knew I would keep returning to this continent if I could, for its wildlife, for its people, and for its vast expanse.’
He went on to urge readers to ‘not be paralysed’ by the challenges coming to light because of the coronavirus pandemic.
He also outlined the work African Parks has been doing to look after ‘some of Africa’s most embattled and vulnerable protected areas’.
In the open letter, The Duke of Sussex shared his passion for ‘wild places and what they provide’ (pictured, visiting Botswana in 2019)
He said these ‘are essential for the wellbeing of local communities and in safeguarding our global climate, but only if they are protected and functioning properly’.
Towards the end of the note, the royal explained: ‘Since becoming a father, I feel the pressure is even greater to ensure we can give our children the future they deserve, a future that hasn’t been taken from them, and a future full of possibility and opportunity.
‘I want us all to be able to tell our children that yes, we saw this coming, and with the determination and help from an extraordinary group of committed individuals, we did what was needed to restore essential ecosystems.’
Harry was appointed president of African Parks, an conservation NGO that manages national parks and protected areas, in December 2017.
The royal has long-held an affection for Africa, having visited shortly after his mother’s death, and he continues to visit every year (pictured, in 2008)
Prince Harry, who visits Africa every year, visited the he British Army’s partnership with African Parks in Malawi during his tour of the continent in 2019.
He has previously spoken about having a special affinity with Africa, the place he went ‘to get away from it all’ after the death of his mother Princess Diana, the place ‘where I feel more like myself than anywhere else in the world.’
He and Meghan Markle, 38, voiced their desires to live on the continent on ITV’s Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, which aired in October and charted the pair’s ten-day tour in South Africa.
During the documentary, which was filmed six months before the couple moved to California, Prince Harry said: ‘I don’t know where we could live in Africa at the moment. We’ve just come from Cape Town, that would be an amazing place for us to be able to to base ourselves, of course it would.
During their tour of Southern Africa in October 2019, Prince Harry and Meghan spoke of their desire to live on the continent
The couple are currently living in Tyler Perry’s $18 million mansion in Los Angeles, having stepped back from royal duty
‘But with all the problems that are going on there I just don’t see how we would be able to really make as much difference as we’d want to.’
Harry also revealed Africa will be the main focus of his and Meghan’s work in the future.
He said: ‘The rest of our lives, especially our life’s work will be predominantly focused on Africa, on conservation.
‘There are 19 Commonwealth countries across this continent, there’s a lot of things to be done, there’s a lot of problems here but there’s also huge potential for solutions.’