/ 11 April 2005

Prince Harry returns to Lesotho

Prince Harry, the second son of the heir to the British throne, was expected to arrive in Lesotho on Monday, the British high commission there said.

”He will be here for a few days. The visit is strictly private … Basically he will be here to follow up on the charity work he did when he was in Lesotho for two months last year.

”For security reasons, I am not at liberty to say how long he will stay in the country,” said Mark Watchorn, the deputy high commissioner to Lesotho.

Harry will be hosted by Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso, the younger brother of Lesotho’s King Letsie III.

Watchorn could not divulge further details about the young prince’s visit.

Harry visited Lesotho in February and March last year. During that visit, he was involved in charity work for HIV/Aids patients, orphans and vulnerable children.

His visit to Lesotho attracted interest from the international media.

After his eight-week stay, Harry set up a special fund with the British Red Cross to address the plight of HIV/Aids-infected children, orphans and other vulnerable children. He also made a documentary film called The Forgotten Kingdom: Prince Harry in Lesotho, which was aired by ITV in the United Kingdom.

The documentary was intended to raise awareness and money to help tackle the problems faced by the people of Lesotho. — Sapa