PRINCE Harry could be launching his “new image” or even returning to his “old image” with his solo trip to Africa, a royal expert says.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, is taking a solo trip to Lesotho – without his wife Meghan Markle– in order to drive work for his charity Sentebale.
On his first night in the country, he was reunited with old friend and co-founder of Sentebale, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, around a firepit.
The pair talked about the charity, which supports children and young people living with, or who are at risk from, HIV.
Harry had previously spent two months in the landlocked African kingdom during his gap year back in 2004, when he was just 19.
He launched Sentebale – which means “forget me not” in a sweet nod to his mother Princess Diana – two years later.
Discussing Harry’s recent solo appearances, including his trip to Lesotho, royal biographer Hugo Vickers told The Sun: “It could be a new image, or it could indeed be the old image.
“I mean, he was terribly good at what he did before.
“And of course, as you can imagine, people like me did not like the Oprah Winfrey interview, did not like the Netflix Series, did not like the book Spare, and all the kind of javelins that he threw at his family.
“There was nothing of this at all this on this recent trip to London, and indeed, on his recent trips there’s been no controversy whatsoever.
“He did indeed manage to arrive completely privately for the Memorial service stroke funeral of Lord Fellowes.
“We didn’t know that he was here until after he’d left, so he wasn’t using it in any way.
“He was, in other words seems to be putting things in now rather than taking things out, and that has to be a good move.”
Speaking about Harry’s trip to Lesotho, where he’s discussing the purpose of his charities, Mr Vickers said: “It’s all outward looking, and that seems to me to be the main difference.”
When asked whether it was a conscious decision to leave Meghan out, or if it’s purely a coincidental, he said: “It’s very hard to know exactly what’s going on.
“I mean, this could be a joint strategic plan, you know, to make Prince Harry more of a figure in his own right.
“Because when he goes on these joint visits with Meghan Markle, like when they went to Colombia, he has looked a bit uncomfortable, a bit like as if he’s a spare.
“Do not forget that Prince Charles in his day used to feel exactly the same about Diana.
“He was trying to make important points, and then all the media were interested in is what she was wearing, or some little gesture she made, or something.”
Mr Vickers added: “So maybe this is a sort of a little bit of a strikeout for Prince Harry himself.
“So it’s either, just to try to be clear about it, it’s either a clever strategic move designed by both of them, or it’s him wishing to somehow re-engage his old persona, and possibly lead to something more constructive.”
Harry and Meghan earlier this year went on a “faux Royal” tour to Nigeria.
The Duchess of Sussex discovered she was 43 percent Nigerian, according to a genealogy test.
After finding out her ancestry, she said she rang her mum “because I wanted to know if she had any awareness of it”.
Harry has had a long relationship with Africa, even taking his now-wife Meghan to Botswana for a camping trip as one of their early dates.
Meghan is said to want to “explore her ancestry and lineage”.
In 2019 the couple embarked on a tour of southern Africa.
The Duchess of Sussex flew with baby Archie to Johannesburg where they were later joined by Harry after he visited Malawi.
During the time apart Meghan told journalists she was struggling to cope with them being apart.
The Duke has also established a charity to help African orphans, Sentebale, with Prince Seeiso from Lesotho.
