The Royal Family in Africa: A look back at previous trips to the continent, from the Queen to Princess Diana

September 19, 2019 - 09:57 BST hellomagazine.com

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Are you as excited as we are?! Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan officially land in South Africa for the beginning of their southern African tour on Sept. 22, with the launch being the next day. It's far from their first time on the continent, though, since they've both visited various countries in Africa over the years - together and separately!

The Royal Family has a long and rich history visiting the continent. The Queen and her relatives have made over 30 trips to 23 different African countries since 1947!

Click through the gallery (or keep reading if you're on mobile) to see some of the highlights over the last six decades!

Photos: © Central Press/Getty Images, Tim Graham/Getty Images and Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

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In 1947, King George VI, then Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) and princesses Elizabeth (later the Queen) and Margaret toured South Africa in 1947. It was the princesses’ first trip abroad.

While there, Elizabeth turned 21 and delivered a speech where she famously stated, “I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong.”

Princess Margaret, King George VI and Princess Elizabeth are seen here at Royal Natal National Park in KwaZulu Natal state.

Photo: © Popperfoto/Getty Images

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On the same trip, Elizabeth looked relaxed and happy as she spent her 21st birthday reading in Royal Natal National Park in South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal state.

Photo: © Popperfoto/Getty Images

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In 1952, Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip stood in for King George VI when he was deemed too ill to travel on a planned international tour that included Kenya, Australia and New Zealand.

On Feb. 6, 1952, George died. While the couple was staying at the Sagana Lodge, Prince Philip was given the news and had to tell his wife that her father was dead and she was now the Queen.

In the photo at left, Philip and Elizabeth admire the view from a bridge in the grounds of Sagana Lodge, their wedding present from the people of Kenya.

Photo: © Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Getty Images

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In 1961, the Queen made international headlines when she danced with Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah at a farewell ball held at State House, Accra. They, and the Duke of Edinburgh, danced to a version of “High Life” composed specially for the occasion and entitled “Welcome Your Majesty.”

Photo: © Central Press/Getty Images

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Princess Diana was very committed to causes in Africa, most notably HIV/AIDS and landmines.

Her work with HIV/AIDS patients earned her the enduring respect of late former South African President Nelson Mandela.

“When she stroked the limbs of someone with leprosy or sat on the bed of a man with HIV/AIDS and held his hand, she transformed public attitudes and improved the life chances of such people,” he once said of the People’s Princess.

On Nov. 2, 2002, Nelson announced the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund would team up with the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund to help victims of HIV/AIDS.

At left, Diana and Nelson are pictured together after her arrival at his home in South Africa in 1997.

Photo: © Anna Zieminski/AFP/Getty Images

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In 1997, Princess Diana was credited with helping to give the issue of landmines international prominence when she walked through an active minefield in Huambo, Angola.

Photo: © Tim Graham/Getty Images

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At left, Princess Diana is seen with some of those (including children) affected by landmines throughout the country at a clinic in Luanda, the Angolan capital.

Prince Harry was touched by the work his mother did in Africa and continues it today by working with anti-mining organization The HALO Trust and through his Sentebale charity in Lesotho.

“This charity is a way in which (co-founder) Prince Seeiso and I can remember our mothers, who both worked with vulnerable children and people affected by AIDS,” Harry has said of his work. “I really feel that by doing this I can follow in my mother’s footsteps and keep her legacy alive.”

Photo: © Tim Graham/Getty Images

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Diana had visited the continent before her most famous trip in 1997.

She’s seen here with Maryam Babangida (left), the wife of former Nigerian president General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, at the Rural Women’s Fair in Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, Nigeria during her official visit to Nigeria in 1989.

Photo: © Georges De Keerle/Getty Images

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While in Egypt in 1992, Diana visited the syphinxes at Giza.

Photo: © Jayne Fincher/Getty Images

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In 2006, Prince Harry met youngsters in the grounds of the Mants’ase children's home while on a return visit to Lesotho. The prince was in the country to launch his new charity, Sentebale, which means “Forget me not” in memory of his mother, Princess Diana.

In 2017, Harry told Town & Country the African contintent became his safe place following Diana’s death.

“I first came in 1997, straight after my mum died,” he said. “My dad told my brother and me to pack our bags—we were going to Africa to get away from it all.”

“This is where I feel more like myself than anywhere else in the world,” he continued. “I wish I could spend more time in Africa. I have this intense sense of complete relaxation and normality here.”

Photo: © Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

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The continent has played a big role in Prince Harry’s romantic life as well. He dated Zimbabwe native Chelsy Davy from 2004 to 2011. The pair met in Cape Town and holidayed together on a houseboat in Botswana. They’re seen here at the Old Bridge Backpackers bar on the outskirts of Maun, Botswana in 2007.

Photo: © Shutterstock

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The continent is a special place to Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, who travelled to Botswana together shortly after they met in summer 2016.

The couple returned to Africa for a three-week holiday in August 2017, and celebrated Meghan’s 36th birthday at the beautiful Meno a Kwena camp in Botswana, a country Harry has described as his “second home.”

“I managed to persuade her to come and join me in Botswana. We camped out with each other under the stars. She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic,” Harry said after their engagement. “So then we were really by ourselves, which was crucial to me to make sure that we had a chance to know each other.”

The photo at left shows elephants in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.

Photo: © Instagram/@sussexroyal

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The royal couple also visited Morocco earlier this year, while Meghan was pregnant with Archie Harrison.

Photo: © Samir Hussein/WireImage

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Meghan had previously spent time in Rwanda, where she travelled as a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada to promote their Clean Water Campaign in 2016.

Photo: © World Vision

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The Queen and Prince Philip have spent time in Morocco, too. While there in 1980, they met the family of late King Hassan II (1929 - 1999) at the royal palace in Rabat.

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In 2010, Prince William proposed to then-Kate Middleton on holiday at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. The place is the exact spot where Elizabeth learned she was Queen in 1952.

William loves staying there when he is in Kenya, and the location boasts the incredible opportunity for visitors to see animals such as lion, leopard and elephants, giraffes, gazelle, impala, warthog and more.

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In 2016, Prince William, who is Patron of the Conservation group Tusk Trust returned to the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

At left, William can be seen cooling the body of "Matt," a huge tranquilized bull elephant, while on a private visit to experience Tusk's front line conservation work in Kenya in 2016.

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Prince Charles, like his mother and father and his sons, also loves the continent and has spent a lot of time there.

He’s seen here on safari in Kenya in 1971.

Charles will return to the continent in 2020, when he visits Rwanda.

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Just like Diana, Charles had a very strong relationship with Nelson Mandela. The two are seen here with Melanie B of the Spice Girls at Nelson’s residence in Pretoria, South Africa in 1997.

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The Queen’s last visit to the African continent took place in 2007 when she travelled to Uganda to open the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kampala.

While there, she and Prince Philip watched a fashion show by some of the children at the Mildmay HIV Centre in Kampala.

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In 2010 Prince Harry and Prince William carried out their first overseas joint engagement when they travelled to Botswana, Lesotho and South Africa.

The visits to Botswana and Lesotho were on behalf of Tusk Trust and Sentebale. William and Harry are patrons of both organizations, respectively.

Here, Harry and William are seen holding an African rock python at the Mokolodi Education Centre in Gabarone, Botswana.