Prince Harry Takes Up His Mother's Legacy
Nov. 17, 2004 -- -- For years the world has watched Britain's Prince Harry from afar and known him only through a few familiar, distant images.
His parents -- especially his mother -- did all they could to protect their sons from the intense media spotlight and allow them to live as normal a childhood as possible. Now, Primetime Live shows Harry as he has never been seen before.
The young prince talks candidly about his mother's enduring legacy for the first time as he follows in her footsteps, bringing a similar passion to an important humanitarian mission.
Diane Sawyer chronicled Harry's recent visit to the African kingdom of Lesotho, where he worked to shine a spotlight on the needs of a poverty-stricken nation in a rare, intimate view of Harry and a unique portrait of the famous boy who has now become a man.
The hour-long Primetime Live report airs Thursday at 10 p.m.
The 20-year-old prince spent two months of his "gap" year -- the year between high school and university -- journeying across Lesotho.
He meets its people, seeing for himself how the unchecked spread of HIV/AIDS has caused devastation and despair, and rolls up his sleeves to help. Along the way, he videotapes what he sees and shares thoughts about why he and older brother William want to make a difference in the world, as their mother did before them. He also talks about those who continue to focus on her personal life even after her death.
Lesotho's orphanages are overwhelmed by the number of children left parentless and abandoned by the AIDS epidemic. Harry meets many orphans and hears their heartbreaking stories -- from the adorable little boy who soon becomes his "shadow" to the tiny baby who has been deeply traumatized after a brutal attack inspired by a horrific myth. He holds the infant in an image reminiscent of when his mother first held a baby with AIDS, a powerful picture that helped to destigmatize victims of the disease.
Humanitarian organizations are doing what they can, but the prince's visit is already drawing attention and much-needed funding to this urgent cause. "I always wanted to go to an AIDS country to carry on my mother's legacy as much as I can," says Harry. "I don't want to take over from her, because I never will. I don't think anyone can, but I want to try and carry it on to make her proud."
The British Red Cross is working with its partner, the American Red Cross, to implement life-saving programs combating HIV/AIDS and other related programs in Lesotho and southern Africa. For more information, contact:
American Red Cross
P.O. Box 91820
Washington, DC 20090-1820
1-800-HELP NOW
www.redcross.org
Related Stories
ABC News Live