The first photos have emerged of Prince Harry leading a global concert to encourage and support COVID vaccine distribution across the world.
But there was no sign of heavily-pregnant wife Meghan Markle, 39, who was meant to lead the concert with the Duke of Sussex.
Their second child, a baby girl, is believed to be due mid-June.
Harry, 36, and Meghan are campaign chairs of Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World, organised by anti-poverty group Global Citizen and filmed in Los Angeles on Sunday local time.
The prince was photographed on stage at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where the concert – hosted by Selena Gomez and headlined by Jennifer Lopez – was recorded.
Foo Fighters, Eddie Vedder, J Balvin and H.E.R. were also to perform, with appearances by Chrissy Teigen, David Letterman, Gayle King and Jimmy Kimmel and actors Ben Affleck, Nomzamo Mbatha, Olivia Munn and Sean Penn.
Pictures released on Monday show Harry standing in front of a Global Citizen banner and speaking to the audience, to a rapturous welcome.
He used his speech to highlight the devastating coronavirus crisis that is sweeping India.
“Hi everybody. We are at a defining moment in the global fight against COVID-19. Tonight is a celebration of each of you here, the vaccinated frontline workers in the audience and the millions of frontline heroes around the world,” People reported.
“You spent the last year battling courageously and selflessly to protect us all. You served and sacrificed, put yourselves in harm’s way and with bravery knowing the costs. We owe you an incredible depth of gratitude, thank you.
“We’re also coming together because this pandemic cannot end unless we act collectively with an unprecedented commitment to our shared humanity,” he said.
“The vaccine must be distributed to everyone everywhere.”
In video posted to social media, one user wrote: “This reaction for Prince Harry in California at #VaxLive is really something … Somehow doubt that anyone other than the Queen or his late mother would get similar”.
India – where aid is finally starting to arrive – recorded 392,488 new virus cases on Sunday, down from a high of 401,993 in the previous 24 hours.
It also had a further 3689 deaths, bringing its total fatalities to 215,542.
Sunday’s concert was Harry’s first public appearance since he returned to the California mansion he shares with Meghan and son Archie (who turns 2 on May 6), just days after the funeral of his grandfather Prince Philip at Windsor Castle on April 17.
The Sussexes are also leading an effort to raise money for the vaccine-sharing program COVAX, which hopes to produce $US19 billion ($24 billion) to pay for the vaccines for medical workers.
Global Citizen bills itself as a movement calling on “world leaders, corporate leaders, and philanthropists to do their part” to end extreme provert by 2030.
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will also appear during the broadcast as part of the We Can Do This initiative to increase confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Croatian Prime Andrej Minister Plenkovic will also appear at the concert.
- Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World will air on US broadcasters and YouTube on May 8
The post Prince Harry delivers passionate speech at Vax Live concert in first US appearance appeared first on The New Daily.
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