Last summer, Prince Harry spent a few months volunteering with several conservation projects in Africa. As it turns out, he agreed to an exclusive photoshoot and interview with Town & Country when he was on the ground in Malawi, working with African Parks and the 500 Elephants relocation project. Harry worked alongside professionals, volunteers and more to move elephants, sable, waterbuck, buffalo, zebras and more to Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve. You can read Town & Country’s story here – Harry sounds like a really nice guy, obviously. I mean, he went out of his way to make the journalists feel at home and welcome. Here are some highlighted quotes from Harry:
On his relationship with Africa: “I first came in 1997, straight after my mum died. My dad told my brother and me to pack our bags—we were going to Africa to get away from it all. My brother and I were brought up outdoors. We appreciate nature and everything about it. But it became more… This is where I feel more like myself than anywhere else in the world. I wish I could spend more time in Africa. I have this intense sense of complete relaxation and normality here. To not get recognized, to lose myself in the bush with what I would call the most down-to-earth people on the planet, people [dedicated to conservation] with no ulterior motives, no agendas, who would sacrifice everything for the betterment of nature… I talk to them about their jobs, about what they do. And I learn so much.”
On the working together to protect wildlife: “Everyone has a different opinion; every country has a different way of doing things. But I do believe that we need a regulatory body so that everyone who owns or manages wildlife is subject to inspection and rated on how well they look after the animals and how the communities benefit. I know I’m going to get criticized for this, but we have to come together. You know what Stevie Wonder said: ‘You need teamwork to make the dream work.’ I use that a lot.”
On the importance of protecting the wilderness and conservation parks: “These are very special places, but they are islands with a sea of people around them. I do worry. I think everyone should worry. We need to look after them, because otherwise our children will not have a chance to see what we have seen. This is God’s test: If we can’t save some animals in a wilderness area, what else can’t we do?”
First of all, I like that he’s bold enough to suggest that perhaps conservation efforts need more oversight and international bureaucracy. I doubt that will ever happen, but I enjoy the fact that Harry is thinking about large-scale solutions to the problems he sees on the ground. As for Harry’s connection to the continent of Africa… considering he makes African issues a priority in his life and he travels to the continent for more than just safaris, I think he’s being authentic. He loves traveling and working there. Bless.
Photos courtesy of Alexei Hay for Town & Country.
Holy wonderful short shorts. Someone is actually wearing the 2010s version of the Tan Booty shorts. Look at that crisp leg fold, they were even shorter before the pic. #Freethemanquads
I support this.
Detritus, we really must keep you around!
If he feels so connected, wouldn’t he be able to be a bit more specific? It’s a big and very diverse continent.
He has a connection to several african countries as he worked there or visited for whatever reason- Lesotho, SA, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania and many more. Should he name all of them at all times when talking about the topic?
Does he feel the exact same connection to every single one? that would be very strange. And this is only a very small part of a diverse continent. I think all the countries you listed are in Southern Africa. Apart from listening countries he could also refer to the specific region or while he is in one of the wildlife parks in that specific region. But I mean that is the same person who wore a nazi uniform for fun and used a racial slur, so being ignorant is pretty standard for him.
He could at least name the country where the interview and photo shoot took place.
It really bothers me when people say “Africa” like it is monilithic. It is perhaps the most geographically and ethnically diverse continent. He should know enough to be specific and discuss the regions or wildlife parks he is referring to.
When will this image of Africa being a large jungle with animals, malnourished children and despotic governments finally be put to rest?
You’d be surprised at how many people think Africa is a country !
Wait until someone tells you about Bantu knots :0
I work with the United Nations, and most people at all levels often refer to “Africa” the continent rather than individual countries. Lots of reasons why. First is that the borders are totally arbitrary and the original kingdoms don’t fall in these Western-imposed boundries. Another reason is that when travelling, you generally won’t make the long trip just to visit one country, hence travelling to “Africa” instead of listing countries. Third, a lot of people who work on international issues work in regions, so Central America, South Asia, Africa. I myself work with the African Union a lot. There is a unity to Africa, just as there is a unity to Europe, or North America. It is just as “insulting” to deny that unity as it is to assume people only see “Africa” as one thing (e.g. giraffes and elephants).
On another point, mmmm-mmmm-mmmm Harry is sooo wonderful: “This is God’s test: If we can’t save some animals in a wilderness area, what else can’t we do?”
I luuuuurve him.
@tris: but does he really feel the same connection to all those countries and regions? Does he feel the same way about Marrakech or Algier like he feels about the wildlife parks? He could have been way more accurate and specific instead of being lazy and just saying Africa even though he likely only really meant very specific parts. And yes, you often go to more than one country but if you are giving an interview I would expect that people who work on international issues would be more specific and for example say: I will visit several countries in Southern Africa instead of “I am going to Africa”. And Central America and South Asia are way, way more specific categories than “Africa”. If an organization has several separate categories for the Asian and American continent but only one for Africa, I would argue it suggests that they have some catching up to do in that regard.
I absolutely get the irritation re Africa, I live in Sweden and feel a slight irritation when Americans claim they “love Europe” or are “travelling to Europe”. It sounds rather meaningless to me, especially when I realize that most of the time this means Italy, or possibly Paris (as in Paris, France), or London (as in London, England). But what about the rest of us?? Sweden, Finland, Denmark, do they count as Europe because we sure do belong to the EU? Or how about Poland or Belgium? All of these are completely different countries with their own culture and atmosphere.
I realize Harry can take any flight he likes – on a hop-on, hop-off basis – but still. If I was going to the US I would be specific. Similarly, I would never travel to just Africa but to Marrakech (where I was in March 2016) and that is not even a country. Is Marrakech the Africa where Harry feels more like himself than anywhere else? Or should I presume – as I do – that he is not talking about Marocco? So why not mention the actual countries?!
If I had a large budget, 2-3 months to spare and wanted to go to Africa, I’d pick 3-4 countries at the most or end up exhausted. But just “Africa”? Maybe if I had a very big budget, no job and endless time to just travel around as I pleased (Harry?). But even then, I’d sure be visiting some very diverse places. I am wondering if I’d be perceptive enough to realize that!
@Tris
“I work with the United Nations, and most people at all levels often refer to “Africa” the continent rather than individual countries. ”
Sorry but this is laziness and part of the problem. This is why you have senior politicians like Biden and Bush giving speeches where they refer to africa as country.
Also who said anything about there not being unity? That has nothing to do with recognising that its a continent and respecting the cultural diversity.
@Tris I have worked in development orgs in Kenya, South Sudan and South Africa and that expat attitude is rightly heavily derided by locals. The UN and other grant making organisations are notorious for failing to acknowledge local differences and circumstances, and pushing wholesale solutions in one country because they worked in a neighbouring one. So your attitude is not just lazy, ignorant and offensive, it actively harms people.
My thoughts exactly. Could he be any less specific?? 🙄🙄🙄
Perhaps he holds those memories close and chooses not to use greater specificity.
@ Tris. This is such nonsense. I am West African. African borders are well defined. Be it present day countries or former kingdoms and empires. Even if all countries in the African continent is not well defined, at least he can refer to the region. To obscure time and again the diversity of the African continent is tiring and insulting. To romanticize wildlife and completely ignore the hit job the British govt did in the African continent both to people and wildlife is completely tone deaf. In many African countries, people are rated above animals. So talking about the plight of animals without any acknowledgement to the plight of people is very insulting. You are indirectly saying you love animals than people will not endear you to anybody except the white colonial crowd.
There are over 50 independant countries and more than 1 billion people in Africa. Why not mention the specific countries, just like you would when talking of Jaipur or Shenzhen in Asia? Or you run the risk of ending up in Buenos Aires instead of New York when travelling to America! 🙂
It’s not a transcription of an interview — these are just select quotes. Getting mad because “He didn’t say X!” is, to put it mildly, a flawed argument here.
100% @Lena. This idea of always referring to Africa as one giant monolith is tiring already.
To say that he “loses himself in the bush … for the betterment of nature.”
There is something very troubling about that statement and that is why it is important to contextualize it. There is a lot more to the continent than bush and wildlife. There are 54 countries in Africa for crying out loud. He should surely be able to express himself better.
Could it be that he avoids giving out specific locations on porpuse? Africa is as you say a very big continent so even if at some point paps know he’s there, without any additional clue they are damned to find him. If he mentions specific locations within Africa, when it’s known he’s in the continent, it would be easier for them to track him down.
It could have nothing to do with this but knowing how much he and his brother like to avoid the press it was the 1st thing that came to my mind.
I’m always in two minds about this guy – I WANT to like him, he seems to try so hard and in comparison with his brother he seems pretty fantastic – but when will he stop killing innocent animals for fun? How can you talk about conservation and wildlife protection out of one side of your mouth and rsvp for a boxing day shoot out the other? In fact, I may even be able to sort of understand the big game hunting that these people indulge in (helps local communities etc) if done ethically, but whats up with the ridiculous bird shoots, for example? That is straight up torture, from the day those birds hatch till the day they are shot so some w*anker can have a good afternoon.
My point is, I find it hard to feel affection for him based on this kind of hypocrisy. (also because I find the general royal family shenanigans really bloody annoying!)
Completely agree with you, I feel the same
Have to agree too. Total hypocrisy to talk about conservation of some animals while shooting others for sport. Whiny’s pleas about ivory and hunting annoy me too for the same reason.
I totally agree. Just like when Charles told his sons you have to be kind to plants, so you can’t hurt them. Next day he goes out and hunts animals. How can you take pleasure in shooting birds?
100% what you said, Clare. Same feels
also all the rot about saving the ikkle animals so our children can see them. Both brothers guilty of this, a rich person’s way of saying I want my kids to go on safari in future, when most people struggle to look after, you know, actual kids.
Well, he’s better than Trump’s a$$hole sons, who killed an elephant and have a picture with its tail.
God, how i despise them!
I’m honestly not sure how I should feel about royalty from a colonizing former empire saying they feel at home in a place their country occupied for centuries. Good on him for trying to conserve is my first reaction. And I get what he is saying. But then I wonder if that was the best choice of words.
Thank you. These were my conflicting feelings as well. I love Harry, but there is something odd about this statement. I know the vast amount of work he has been doing there for at least a decade, but it’s a strange statement given the historical dynamics. There’s a more substantive and eloquent way to state this, but I’m at work. Lol
ETA: Lest anyone get the wrong idea, I don’t doubt Harry’s good intentions.
I think he (and William) may have felt like this about any place that was a sanctuary immediately after Diana’s death. If he had been packed off to Alaska where he was hidden from the press and free to roam anywhere, he’d love Alaska. Argentina, Canada, Australian Outback, Tuscan wine country – wherever had been that place. It was the continent of Africa, so now he wants to do positive work there.
This may be why CP Victoria likes the US, and they spent their honeymoon traveling the US. It was where she went to get away from the Swedish press to deal with her anorexia, so now it holds a special place in her heart.
Totally agree, nota. Charles had similar feelings about Australia when he was sent to school there.
While treating a very diverse continent as a monolith. Does he really feel the same way while in Algier or Tunis like in Johannesburg or on safari in Kenya? Ignoring the diversity of Africa is so typical for the colonial mindset.
What bothers me is this: what he did setting up the African charities is amazing – kudos, no drag on that. But he is an ENGLISH prince…aren’t there hungry, poverty stricken people in his own country to help in that way as well?
I’m not English, so I’m really asking honestly, how do British Celebitches feel about your Prince saying he finds another country more of a home than his own?
If you forget about colonialism, his comment makes sense in terms of the amount of privacy he can achieve elsewhere. He can probably walk around in the part of Africa he likes without being bothered. From the personal perspective of not dealing with paparazzi I can see why he’d like anywhere else but Britain. He even seemed to enjoy being overseas on a battlefield more than being in Britain simply because he didn’t have to deal with press intrusion and paparazzi.
Since Britain is an amalgamation of different countries (i.e Wales, England, part of Ireland, and Scotland) I actually tend to think British people probably wouldn’t be bothered by his comments. I think they’d be bothered by other things (how the royals actually use their time and taxpayer money) but not necessarily his comment of finding home elsewhere since the concept of Britishness itself is kind of complicated (i.e Andy Murray appears to be Scottish at all other times of the year but suddenly becomes British when he’s playing Wimbledon at the All England Club). Britishness itself is associated with the concept of Empire and Africa was part of the Empire, so aside from the colonialist problems, I don’t think his comment would actually be seen as a contradiction if you think about Britain as trying to take India and Africa as part of its Empire project. If he said he felt more English than British, I tend to think that would actually inspire more ire since it seems being Scottish, Welsh, or English inspires different kind of nationalisms separate from Britishness.
He loves the anonymity that Africa offers him. He can’t walk 10ft outside his home without being papped in UK.
I think for his mental health, he needs to get away for a while, away from the voracious press and just work like any regular person. Africa offers him that.
I’m not bothered at all. I wouldn’t be very fond of the UK either if I had had to deal with its tabloid press for my entire life. People in the UK (especially English people) don’t tend to be patriotic in the same way as Americans. It’s very much a self-deprecating, “oh, we’re rubbish really” attitude, at least on the outside.
And just a note on Harry’s charity work; Sentebale was set up in conjunction with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, who also lost his mother at a young age. He didn’t just go in there to start a charity on his own.
I am sure it offers him anonymity because he lives in those places where british expats have vast amounts of land inherited from their colonial families or bought by the multinationals. places which are very secluded. Rich white people tend to live in their own parts of town and aren’t mingling with every day people apart from the ones who work for them.
I get that several Commonwealth countries are in Africa and wildlife conservation is an important topic. Still, how about homelessness and children living in poverty in the UK? Is any of the royals ‘working’ in that area?
Yes. Harry included.
Not to undermine conservation but it really is very rich for these white adventurers pictured above to rock up to some of the poorest communities in the world and focus on rescuing the game. African poaching is driven by poverty not sport. And its EXTREMELY problematic that his conservationist homies are all white. He is clearly moving in “white cowboy” circles and they have a terrible legacy everywhere they go on that continent.
Yeah the picture of all his white friends disturbed me as well. I usually honk for Harry but this article made me shake my head and then roll my eyes.
@Ramona
Yes, when he said “most down to earth people”, I thought he was talking about locals, imagine my surprise when I saw a photo with a bunch of white bros. 🙂
And I like your point about poverty. I’d add “poverty and corruption”. I come from a third-world country and I learned that there was a lot of illegal poaching going on when my BF was hired as an interpreter for some wealthy American hunters. It’s not advertised, most locals have no idea, it was all a scheme of some crafty government official who realized that there is a lot of money to be made by letting wealthy foreigners kill exotic animals.
I saw that all-white photo & thought it was perhaps a relict of the colonial days & who still wields the power in whatever country he’s in. And there’s still that old ‘let’s save these animals for our children to see’. Sigh. These animals have an intrinsic place in the environment. Still, love that cover photo.
Poaching is clearly driven by poverty, but a “belt and braces” approach to the problem is needed. You need to tackle the poverty that causes local people to get involved in poaching, absolutely. But you also need to tackle the reasons why there is so much money involved. So that means naming and shaming wealthy foreigners who shoot wildlife like that idiot dentist and the Trump children, and the terrible demand for perceived aphrodisiacs such as rhino horn.
In the article the driver of one of the vehicles is quoted as saying oh white boys and their toys try telling the starving people of Malawi about this stuff. So I’m guessing the locals are kind of on the same page of what’s being said here.
@Ramona – thank you so much for saying that and pointing out that as per this picture, his conservation buddies seem to be all white and this is problematic. The conservation landscape is definitely a challenging one. It cannot be a coincidence that majority of those leading such conservation efforts are white. That right there should point to a very very big problem within these institutions. Of course, the locals are involved in conservation efforts, but the issue is at what levels they are involved. I know of very specific cases where people are selected from abroad to come and head projects, but who does all the groundwork, preparation, scouting, tracking etc? The locals of course and who does the credit go to? All the while you have the poorest of poorest communities living around these conservation areas.
oh really?
Good article with an actual insight to the work the project does. Harry certainly raised their profile. It’s always good to know he is just part of of a team when working on projects like this. He is respected for what he does and not who he is. Probably one of the reasons he loves being there.
Dear Prince Harry,
please let me host you in Nairobi Kenya. As you know, there’s a park right in the capital. We can spend our mornings watching the lions hunt, the afternoons eating nyama choma and Tusker and the nights smoking up. word on the street is you like chocolate girls. *wink*
Hmm.. He’s part of a long-standing regime that subjugated and colonized many African countries and it wasn’t a peaceful colonization. I mean, when your basis for comparison is “well, at least we weren’t as bad as Belgium”).
I’m just going to give this side-eye as I usually do about royalty. (Aka, a useless, anachronistic institution.)
I’m not British and not a royalist, but I wonder if there would be guilt playing a factor in the work that he does? But it’s not politic (in the lower-case p sense of the word) to frame it in terms of imperialism?
Also, who knew Prince Harry would lighten my day with a terrific quote from Stevie Wonder?
Hmm. I remember when William was born. Diana’s Golden Child. Born on the solstice .. the Sun King! … with a conqueror’s name. People had high hopes for him. Harry was the goofy, redheaded sidekick. Seems now “the spare”, never to see the throne, was the high quality son of substance. The gods have a sense of humor I suppose.
The one thing that consistently irks me about both princes is how they romanticize a sort of colonized version of Africa that is still preserved for them by wealthy families they know there.
This!
I always kind of side-eye when Harry and William talk about Africa like it is one giant country. I’m pretty sure when he says he loves and feels at home in Africa he’s not talking about Libya, which is also Africa. He could absolutely be more specific about particular countries and wild life parks instead of feeding into the stereotype that Africa is one big safari. Though I will admit that I think his intentions are good. He is just being clumsy with his articulation.
Also just once I’d like Harry and William to express that they actually like the UK. Even if they don’t feel that way, fake it. The whole reason Harry can take off for weeks at a time and play conservation is because the people of the UK give him ridiculous privilege. Even during his interview during his Afghanistan tour he said he didn’t like the UK much!!
Yeah I just said the same thing. He is talking like it’s one big country.
My step-sister-in-law’s(??) old neighbour’s son was a poacher who was caught and fatally shot. The areas that surround these game reserves are very impoverished. These people aren’t doing it for fun, they see this as a way to put food on the table.
I like this interview but I have a bone to pick.
I wish he wouldn’t talk about Africa like its a country. Not sure where he means? It’s like when Americans say they love Europe. Where? Sweden or Portugal? England or Holland? Africa is diverse in the same way. If he’s talking about Kenya I understand I fell utterly in love since I went there the first time.
America is diverse as well. Maine is very much not Louisiana. Having traveled through multiple times, I’m sure the guy knows Africa is a continent not a country.
This isn’t to say he doesn’t have some massive issues resulting from his position. Who wouldn’t? But there’s effort and good intent here not seen in others.
Are you actually comparing the African continent with the United States in terms of diversity? While the us certainly is very diverse, if younreally think it can compare tot he diversity of the African continent in any way, you have no idea. And while he might know it, that isn’t the point, the point is that he feeds into a stereotype of Africa as this monolith which is very common.
Oh hell no. I compared the appraisal of Europe with the US. Africa is far and away the most diverse continent. .. culture, ethnicity, the diversity of language alone is hard to wrap your head around. All lands have it to some degree though – Montreal isn’t Mexico City and Morocco isn’t Ghana. But measure of diversity isn’t the point. A common denominator still exists. If I tell you I enjoy travelling through Asia, you might ask which nations I’ve seen, and we might then compare S Korea to Singapore but you have a general idea of what “Asia” means. He’s traveled through and worked in multiple African nations, yes? So I can see him saying, simply, “Africa”, rather than ticking off multiple countries each time he speaks of it. We can cut things up into infinitely smaller pieces until there’s nothing left.
Thats not a good comparison @Shura
People in Maine and Lousiana may be different but they belong to the same nation. The various different nations in africa have diverse cultural heritage, languages and history.To speak of it as one, shows that one lacks understanding of the rich cultural heritage that exists, and while i am sure Harry knows better he does like @Lena says feeds into a stereotype. The type of ill informed stereotype where you have a sitting president (Bush) calling Africa a nation..
O jesus the hotness.
You mean literally of the fire crotch?
yes beautiful pictures of Harry with the down to earth people of Africa
I am british – I am constantly annoyed by th fact that both william and harry seem to spend most of their time trying to avoid th very people who support their incredibly priviledged luxurious lifestyles – the much maligned great unwashed bp – ther is plenty of poverty and need of support in th uk – hav they never heard of charity beginning at home? And whers willnot and kate? Havent seen them since th middleton xmas pap walk – r they in mustique already?
William and Kate seem useless in general, and would probably be useless even if they were regular people, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Harry supports other charities in Britain. He helped to create the Invictus Games and started that off in London so I don’t think he spreads himself to only one cause.
Well, that is the issue I was trying to point at with my question, really. There is a reason these people engage in charity that would never ever question the status quo. So you’ll have animals, nature and wildlife conversation and sick children.
Having served in the peace corps for nearly 3 years in east & southern Africa – I completely agree. There is a magic – it’s hard to even articulate – but the 6 countries I spent time in were each unique and amazing. I would love to see him settle part time there – it would be good for him & the continent as a whole.
It would also be a lot more difficult for big brother to throw him under the bus. The DM would have to find a new scapegoat.
I’m glad he’s thinking big, but the issue with a large bureaucracy on an international level to implement conservation efforts is that it’s a top-down solution. It skips the part of the problem where building a framework to address issues of conservation locally is necessary to really implement any large scale solution. And given the sheer size and diversity of the African continent, an overarching umbrella organization wouldn’t exactly be the most effective since conservation efforts are going to need to focus on different things in different places–one single body wouldn’t be very effective at allocating resources for that sort of thing, which means you’ll wind up with a situation where some issues are given a lot more attention than others, purely because of logistics. That may not always be the best thing.
The small scale efforts that he’s participating in, the ones that are building those frameworks on a grassroots level to normalize conservation efforts and bring it to the forefront of public consciousness, that’s key and that’s a much needed work. So good for him for engaging in that.
Interesting. British people seem to have had this strong feeling about Africa throughout history.
He seems like a hypocrite.