Harry Says Meghan Became His 'Soulmate' in Africa as Biography Drama Rages

Prince Harry said Africa was "where I've felt closest to my mother" and "where I knew I had found a soulmate in my wife," in a keynote speech at the United Nations.

The Duke of Sussex spoke at the U.N. General Assembly in New York City on Monday to mark Nelson Mandela International Day. The appearance came as in Britain a new biography, titled Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors, set the media alight with claims Prince Harry had "contempt" for Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Queen Elizabeth II was said in the book to have been relieved that Meghan did not make it to Prince Philip's funeral, while a palace source suggested the claim was "unlikely."

However, Harry made no reference to the tidal wave of headlines in the British media during one of his most heavy-weight appearances since quitting royal life in 2020.

Prince Harry's United Nations Speech

Harry and Meghan had a dream holiday in Botswana in August 2017 where they slept under the stars, just three months before they publicly announced they were engaged.

The trip has long been thought to be the moment the couple decided they wanted to get married and Harry's words to the United Nations cement that interpretation.

The duke 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. And it's why so much of my work is based there."

Harry also tackled major issues, including climate change and misinformation, beyond his words about his mother and wife.

The duke also made reference to the couple's two children, Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, when he said: "It has been almost a decade now since Mandela's own walk on this Earth finally reached its end. But what he taught us, again and again, is that it was never his walk alone...It was all of ours...It is all of ours.

"What a beautiful gift, especially as a dad of two young children myself—the message that this world is meant to be shared, that the work of each generation is tied to those who came before and those who will come after us.

"That we have an obligation to give as much—if not more—than we take, and never shudder in the face of darkness, for hope is the fuel that courage requires.

"So on this Nelson Mandela International Day, as a new generation comes of age, a generation that did not witness Mandela's leadership for themselves, let's commit to remembering and celebrating his life and legacy every day, not just once a year.

"Let's talk with our children about what he stood for."

Meghan wore a slick black dress for their first visit to the East Coast since attending Intrepid Museum's Salute to Freedom Gala, in November 2021.

The United Nations session began at 10 a.m. ET and included tributes to South Africa's first black president, nicknamed Mandiba, who served as leader of the African National Congress (ANC) party, and died in 2018.

Tom Bower's Meghan and Harry Biography, Revenge

The United Nations appearance came alongside the publication of a long-awaited biography of Meghan and Harry which was always expected to be highly critical of the couple.

Author Tom Bower is known for his excoriating takedowns of subjects from the worlds of politics, business and entertainment—as well as Prince Charles. Extracts were serialized in the U.K. broadsheet The Times in the days before the U.N. General Assembly meeting.

"Philip had been [the Queen's] rock for the previous 70 years. To comply with Covid restrictions she would grieve alone inside the chapel. 'Thank goodness Meghan is not coming,' the monarch said in a clear voice to her trusted aides," one excerpt read.

"Harry's presence remained a problem. As a private citizen stripped of his military titles he could not dress in uniform. To minimize the embarrassment for both Harry and Andrew, who was mired in allegations of sexual sleaze, all the male members of the royal family dressed in morning suits."

Meghan was also presented as being demanding, potentially re-igniting a long-running debate over allegations she bullied staff at Kensington Palace. Meghan denied those historic allegations though her team has not commented on the biography.

The book quotes Jean Malek, a director on an advertising shoot for a Reitmans campaign, who posted on Facebook: "She is definitely the meanest person I've ever met. Just saying."