Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Share Unseen Photographs From Africa

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are private about their holiday destinations, but one thing they've never hidden from the public is their shared love of Africa.

Just a few weeks after meeting for the first time in July 2016, Harry whisked Meghan off to Botswana where the pair "camped out together under the stars and enjoyed five days together". How's that for romance?

The following year, when the couple got engaged, Prince Harry even sourced two of the diamonds for Meghan's ring from Botswana.

We know the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been back to Africa numerous times throughout the duration of their relationship, and over on Instagram yesterday they shared a rare insight into one of these trips.

On World Elephant Day, the Sussexes uploaded a series of photographs - some of which are their own - to celebrate the mammals. The first picture was of Prince Harry himself, dressed in safari gear and a cap, approaching an elephant. The second was of Meghan's hands (you can tell by her delicate rings) touching the animal's trunk. Other pictures in the series were taken by Elephants Without Borders, and show the creatures in their natural habitat.

If this doesn't make you want to go on safari, nothing will.

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???????? Today is #WorldElephantDay and we are pleased to announce that since we followed our friends at @ElephantswithoutBorders (EWB) on Instagram in July, when we were celebrating the environment, you and our friend @TheEllenFund (@TheEllenShow) have spread the word and EWB have been able to help protect 25 elephants by fitting them with satellite navigation collars! These collars allow the team at EWB to track the elephants, as well as to learn their essential migratory patterns to keep their corridors safe and open so future generations of elephants can roam freely. In honour of this amazing support, EWB have named their most recently collared Elephant...ELLEN! We can’t wait to see where she will go! ? Two years ago on World Elephant Day, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined Dr Chase to help in this conservation effort. Below, a few words from Mike and his partner Kelly at EWB: • ‘Today is a day to honor and celebrate the majestic elephant and to make a strong stand for conserving and protecting one of the world’s most beloved animals. elephants are intelligent, sentient beings capable of emotions from joy to grief. They are ‘environmental engineers,’ a key-stone umbrella species, and the fight to save them is in effect, a fight to save entire ecosystems and all wildlife. Today elephants are facing many challenges; habitat loss and competition for resources creates conflict with humans, climate change and fires destroy much needed resources and poaching for the demand of ivory makes elephants bigger targets than ever. African elephants are especially prone to human-wildlife conflict because of their large home ranges. Finding, preserving and creating elephant corridors is therefore of great importance in helping to maintain habitats suitable for movement and minimising human-elephant conflict. Corridors are a mitigation technique to better the livelihoods of local communities and the elephants themselves, by providing environment and ample space for wildlife to navigate from one habitat patch to another, without affecting the livelihoods of communities.’ • EWB - Dr Mike Chase, Ms Kelly Landen . ? by DOS © SussexRoyal Additional photos: EWB

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Aug 12, 2019 at 6:00am PDT

The caption on Harry and Meghan's post revealed that, after @SussexRoyal followed the Elephants Without Borders (EWB) account on Instagram in July as part of a month celebrating organisations and individuals who make a difference to the environment, the charity has benefitted greatly.

"EWB have been able to help protect 25 elephants by fitting them with satellite navigation collars!" the caption read. "These collars allow the team at EWB to track the elephants, as well as to learn their essential migratory patterns to keep their corridors safe and open so future generations of elephants can roam freely."

The Instagram caption also revealed that the pictures of Meghan and Harry in Africa were taken from a trip two years ago where they joined EWB's Dr Mike Chase to help with conservation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In the autumn, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will travel to Africa to conduct their first overseas royal tour since the birth of their son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.

 

 

 

All three members of the family will visit South Africa, before Prince Harry leaves Meghan and Archie at a base in Cape Town to carry out working visits to Angola, Malawi and Botswana.

 

 

 

We know Botswana is an important destination for Harry because of his passion for conservation, and Malawi is included on the itinerary because the Duke intends to expand the reach of his charity, Sentebale's AIDS prevention programme into the country from Lesotho where it first started. Prince Harry will also visit Angola so he can continue the work of his late mother, Princess Diana.

 

 

 

Diana was famously pictured walking in an active minefield in Angola in 1997 as part of her powerful campaign to remove land mines.