I hope my mother will be proud of me': Prince Harry pays emotional tribute to Diana citing her as the 'inspiration' for his charity work

Prince Harry paid an emotional tribute to his late mother tonight and said he hoped she would be proud of what he was trying to achieve.
The young royal was speaking at a black tie fundraising Gala dinner in Johannesburg and told fellow guests that he hoped Diana, Princess of Wales, would be looking down from heaven to give her blessing to what he was hoping to achieve with his charity, Sentebale.
Diana's humanitarian work was the inspiration both for the charity itself and of its name, which means 'forget me not' in the local dialect of Sesotho.

Tribute: Prince Harry said he hoped his mother Princess Diana would be proud of his charity Sentebale

Harry flew in to South Africa following a three-day trip to Lesotho to see the work being done on the ground.
The first Sentebale Gala Dinner marks the launch of a £2.4 million fundraising campaign to build the first permanent centre for children and young people infected with, or affected by, HIV and Aids in Lesotho.

 

The Mamohato Centre, named after the late Queen of Lesotho, will provide psychological care and mentoring for children who are often stigmatised as a result of the disease.
In his speech the prince said: 'We are immensely grateful to His Majesty King Letsie [of Lesotho] for donating the stunning piece of land at Thaba Besoo, where we plan to build the centre.
'It seems only right that it should be named after His Majesty and Prince Seeiso’s mother, Queen Mamohato Bereng Seeiso. 

Fundraiser: Prince Harry met guests at the Sentebale Gala Dinner, in Johannesburg

Gala: The cream of South African society attended the charity launch where Prince Harry made a speech

'She was so loved as the Mother of the Nation. I hope she would be proud of what we are trying to achieve in her name.
'I hope that my mother will be proud, too. Maybe they are together somewhere up there, with blue prints and sketches already mapped out! I can only hope we put the swings in the right place.'
He added: 'Over the past few days I have been in Lesotho visiting Sentebale staff, care-givers, volunteers and, most importantly, meeting and getting to know the children who receive our support.
'It is inspiring to hear how Sentebale is making such a big difference to these children – so many of whom are orphaned, have disabilities, are HIV-positive or who live the harsh life of the herd-boy.
'It would be understandable for children, who have endured such hardship and trauma in their lives at such a young age, to lose faith and give up. 

Inspiration: Princess Diana's humanitarian work, including the work she did with Aids sufferers and landmine charities, pictured, has inspired her son's involvement with the Sentebale charity

'What amazes me is that the opposite is the case. They battle on and make the most of their situation. 

'Their resilience is astounding and makes me feel very humble.  It makes me more determined than ever that these wonderful, awe-inspiring children should have happier and healthier lives.'
He added of the new centre they are hoping to build: 'Our aim and hope is that we can influence a decline in the transmission of HIV and increase life expectancy, in a unique way for Lesotho: by addressing the psychological and social needs of the next generation.'
The 250 guests at the lavish event at glamorous Summer Place in the Sandton district of the city included the cream of South African society.

Joker: Prince Harry shared a laugh with 15-year-old orphan Keneuoe at St Bernadette's Centre for the blind in Lesotho. The project is supported by his charity Sentebale

Among the charity auction lots on offer were a private dinner party at Kensington Palace - with the possibility of an appearance by the prince himself, who lives in an apartment there.
Guests feasted on poached herb-infused prawns, seared thyme Karoo lamb and pistachio mousse bomb and drank champagne as a string quartet played.
Television presenter Bonang Matheba, who was hosting the evening, said she had been doing her best to persuade Harry to dance.
'He said he might but was feeling a bit tired but he might be tempted to do the cha cha. I said I wanted to show him a real African dance,' she said.

Sign language: The royal also visited the Kananelo Centre for the deaf. He said he hoped his mother Princess Diana would be proud of his charitable efforts