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SAFRICA-BRITAIN-ROYALS
Royal baby Archie meets S.Africa’s Archbishop Tutu
CAPE TOWN, Sept 25, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The Duke and Duchess of Sussex on
Wednesday took their four-month-old son Archie to meet Desmond Tutu in Cape
Town, the royal baby’s first public outing since his birth in May.
To the delight of royal-watchers, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan walked
into the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation carrying a smiley Archie in
blue dungarees.
The family touched down in Cape Town on Monday for a 10-day trip in South
Africa and other countries in the region.
Both parents have hit the ground running — speaking up for victims of
gender violence, delving into local history and visiting charities that
support poor children and disadvantaged youth.
But little Archie had yet to make an appearance, until he was taken for
tea with one of South Africa’s iconic anti-apartheid figures.
Archbishop Tutu and his wife Leah came out to greet the trio as they
arrived, and Tutu kissed the baby’s forehead.
In a video posted on Twitter by journalists attending the event, Meghan
bounced Archie on her lap as he made faces at the elderly couple.
They all laughed at Archie’s expressions.
“You like the ladies better,” joked Leah.
“I think he knows exactly what’s going on,” said Harry.
The adults shared an assortment of pastries decorated with the words
“peace”, “freedom” and “enough is enough” in reference to protests against
gender violence that took place this month.
Archie had a special heart-shaped biscuit with his name written on it.
Tutu told the couple they were “adored” by South Africans.
“It’s heartwarming,” Meghan replied.
Harry last met Tutu in 2015, when he presented the archbishop with an
honour in recognition for his services to UK communities and international
peace.
Tutu was awarded a Nobel prize in 1984 for his unflinching opposition to
the policies of apartheid — a white-supremacist regime that dominated South
Africa until 1994.
The foundation, launched in 2013, focuses on youth leadership and social
justice.
The prince will separate from his family later in Wednesday to travel to
Botswana, Angola and Malawi.
He will visit conservation and HIV prevention projects, and a cleared
minefield in Angola through which his late mother Princess Diana famously
crossed in 1997.
Meanwhile the duchess and Archie will remain in South Africa, reuniting
with Harry in Johannesburg next week to complete the tour as a family, flying
back on October 2.
BSS/AFP/BZC/1720HRS