Prince Harry Talks Charity Work, Hopes Princess Diana "Will Be Proud" of Him

Royal currently touring Africa on behalf of his nonprofit Sentebale, which provides support to children living with HIV/AIDS and other illnesses

By Alexis L. Loinaz Feb 28, 2013 1:37 PMTags
Prince HarryChris Jackson/Getty Images

Princess Diana's humanitarian sprit lives on in Prince Harry.

The 28-year-old royal is currently touring Africa on behalf of his charity, Sentebale, which benefits children living with HIV/AIDS and other illnesses. And during a gala Wednesday night in Johannesburg, South Africa, he said he hoped his late mother was looking down on him with pride.

Per The Daily Beast., the charity dinner celebrated the inauguration of plans to establish the Mamohato Centre for children. The facility is named after Lesotho's Queen Mamohato Bereng Seeiso, whose son, Prince Seeiso, cofounded Sentebale with Harry in 2006.

"I hope she would be proud of what we are trying to achieve in her name," Harry said of Lesotho's late queen, adding, "I hope that my mother will be proud, too."

He then quipped, "Maybe, just maybe, they are together somewhere up there, with blueprints and sketches already mapped out," before cracking, "I can only hope we put the swings in the right place."

Harry also noted how Sentebale "is making such a big difference to these children—so many of whom are orphaned, have disabilities, are HIV-positive or who live the harsh life of the herd-boy."

Harry is visiting Lesotho and South Africa as part of his charity tour. On Wednesday, he stopped by schools for deaf and blind children, where he put both his cooking and dancing skills to the test while meeting with the kids and learning about their needs.

Yes, no doubt somewhere, Princess Diana is smiling.