Prince Harry Warns About ‘Rolling Back Of Constitutional Rights In U.S.’ At U.N.

While spending time in New York, Prince Harry gave a speech at the United Nations honoring the late South African leader Nelson Mandela on Nelson Mandela International Day. The Duke of Sussex spoke of the need to preserve democracy and freedom around the world.

The Royal spoke highly of Mandela and praised that “even when confronting unimaginable cruelty and injustice, almost always had a smile on his face.” He also reflected on a photo of his mother, Princess Diana, and Mandela meeting in Capetown which is “on my wall, and in my heart every day.” The photo was taken shortly before Diana’s tragic 1997 death.

Harry told the audience that there has been a “seemingly endless stream of disasters and devastation,” and that 2022 has been “a painful year in a painful decade.” Harry spoke on the continuing pandemic, rising climate disasters, and “the few weaponizing lies and disinformation at the expense of the many.” He also warned of the “rolling back of constitutional rights in the United States,” clearly referring to the recent reversal of Roe v. Wade in the Supreme Court.

“We are witnessing a global assault on Democracy and freedom, the cause of Mandela’s life,” Prince Harry warned. He also spoke about how issues with the pandemic and rising inflation have caused Africa a “fuel and food crisis the likes of which we have not seen in decades,” paired with a brutal drought in Horn of Africa countries. “These historic weather events are no longer historic, more and more, they are part of our daily lives.”

“We have an obligation to give as much, if not more than we take,” Harry added. “Let’s seek out what we have in common, empower all people to reclaim our democracies, and harness the light of Mandela’s memory to illuminate the way forward.”