Prince Harry has revealed he knew Meghan Markle was his "soulmate" during a romantic trip to Africa.
He opened up about his relationship while speaking at an event to mark Nelson Mandela day on Monday.
In a speech to the United Nations he discussed his love for the continent, the strong connection it has to his wife through her African heritage and how his mum Princess Diana loved visiting there.
He praised Mandela's work and legacy and said he had a picture of his mum with the activist on his wall which is “in [his] heart every day”.
The prince admitted he feels closest to his mum in Africa and sensed he was going to be with Meghan for life while travelling there.
In his speech, Harry said: “Since I first visited Africa at 13 years old, I’ve always found hope on the continent.
In fact, for most of my life, it has been my lifeline, a place where I have found peace and healing time and time again.
“It’s where I’ve felt closest to my mother and sought solace after she died, and where I knew I had found a soulmate in my wife.”
He has visited the vast continent on his own and with Meghan and remembered their first dates when they travelled to Botswana in summer 2016.
After the pair were engaged he recalled how he “managed to persuade [Meghan] to come and join me in Botswana”.
“We camped out with each other under the stars. She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic.
"So then we were really by ourselves, which was crucial to me to make sure that we had a chance to know each other.”
The couple went back to Botswana in 2017 and Harry asked Meghan to marry him using a ring with an African diamond plus gems from his mum's private collection.
The couple also visited southern Africa in 2019 during and visited Malawi, Angola, South Africa, and Botswana as part of a royal tour.
Then they introduced four-month-old son Archie to late Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who gave Prince Harry a picture of his mother and Nelson Mandela.
In 2019 The Mirror reported how Harry had never made a secret of his love for Africa and the bond was getting stronger.
Before his first royal tour with his wife and Archie followed by Harry's solo trips to Botswana, Angola and Malawi he spoke about his 'dream job' to be a safari guide in Africa.
From helping AIDS orphans in the impoverished kingdom of Lesotho or witnessing land mine clearance projects in Angola, Harry has long spoken of his strong bond with the continent.
He has long said he 'feels more myself' in Africa and he once revealed his dream job would be over there.
"I'd probably live in Africa," said Harry.
"I'd like to spend all my time out there... As a job, it would probably be a safari guide."
