Prince Harry reunited with Sandra Tigica, a minefield survivor who was famously photographed with his mother, Princess Diana, during her visit to Angola in 1997. The Duke of Sussex was in Angola as a part of his royal tour and retraced his mother’s footsteps, walking the same path Diana did 22 years ago when she first met Tigica.
Now, a mother in her late 30s, Tigica expressed that she is happy the Prince has continued his mother’s efforts for Angola. According to video from The Sun, Prince Harry asked, “Are you happy with the progress that has been made since then … with the clearing of minefields?” She responded via translator, “Yes, I’m very happy with all the work that took place, and I’m very happy to see that you’re following her footsteps.”
During his visit, Harry also joined a landmine clearance organization, the HALO Trust, on a walk through a de-mining field in Dirico, Angola; where he had wear protective body armor and headgear similar to what Diana wore in Huambo decades ago.
Diana brought global attention to landmines after she walked through a cleared path in a live minefield in Huambo. During that trip, the Princess of Wales met Tigica, who was 13 at the time. The two were pictured together in a famous photo, sitting under a tree at an orthopedic workshop in Luanda in 1997.
Approximately 60 countries are filled with mines, and more than 120,000 people were killed by landmines between 1999 and 2017 with nearly half of victims being children, according to Harpers Bazaar. Since Princess Diana’s visit, Angola has pledged to clear all known landmines by 2025.
In a clip shared to the Royal couple’s Instagram, Prince Harry said, “It’s incredibly emotional to follow in the footsteps of my mother…If 20 years ago she hadn’t done what she did, this would still be a minefield. To see this as a thriving community is amazing.”
