It is a photo of Diana who visited the former president of South Africa and anti-apartheid fighter in Cape Town in 1997. “When I first saw the photo, I immediately noticed the fun, the playfulness and even something naughty about my mother’s face. The true joy of being with another soul who was equally committed to serving humanity.”
Harry is very impressed with Mandela, who despite everything he had been through, “still beamed, still saw the good in people and was still cheerful,” he said. “Not because he didn’t see the ugly, the injustice in the world. No, he saw that clearly and he had experience with it himself. But he knew we could get on top of it.”
For that reason, Harry deeply regrets that so many things are still happening that are reminiscent of what Mandela has struggled with in his life. He mentions the war in Ukraine, the reversal of abortion rights in the US and the climate problem as examples. “It’s a painful year in a painful century.”