Prince Harry
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Prince Harry addressed members of the 77th United Nations General Assembly yesterday as part of Nelson Mandela Day. During his 30-minute impassioned speech, in which he spoke on subjects including the current climate crisis, threats to democracy and the ‘horrific war’ in Ukraine, he honoured the legacy of the South African president and his personal connection to the continent.
The Duke of Sussex left practically no subject unturned as he touched on every major event of the last decade, describing the period as a ‘painful one’. ‘How many of us feel battered, helpless, in the face of a seemingly endless stream of disasters and devastation?’ he asked the audience in New York.
As well as the worldwide damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and the Ukraine war, Prince Harry warned of the damage of misinformation perpetuated online, which he said was ‘weaponising lies’. He also addressed the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which had previously promised a constitutional right to abortion in the country since 1973. He described the decree as a ‘rolling back of constitutional rights’.
The Duchess of Sussex, who has long campaigned for the freedom of female choice, has also been vocal about the ruling. In a conversation with journalist Gloria Steinem for Vogue earlier this month, Meghan asserted: ‘Nobody should be forced to make a decision they do not want to make, or is unsafe, or puts their own life in jeopardy’.
