Party at the Palace! Prince Harry Hosts Concert for Sentebale

Despite the ‘typical British’ weather, over 3,000 people gathered in the Kensington Palace Gardens tonight for the Sentebale Concert hosted by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to benefit the charity they founded in 2006 and help raise awareness for young people living with HIV in the south of Africa.

Both Princes took to the stage on several occasions throughout the concert, which included musical performances by Joss Stone, Laura Mvula, Nico & Vinz, the Basotho Youth Choir and headliners Coldplay (who received a rapturous applause from the crowd, and Prince Harry, who thanked the band’s lead singer Chris Martin with a warm hug). Prince Harry even led the crowd in a sing-along to one of the Coldplay songs.

They both spoke of how HIV is effecting the younger generations in Lesotho. “Our small nation has been ravaged by the HIV/AIDS pandemic…21,000 young people between 10-19 are living with HIV,” Prince Seeiso said, while Prince Harry mentioned how HIV has slipped from the forefront of the news, but is still a greatly important topic that needs to be on people’s minds and that people need to be educated on, considering the increasing number of people – globally – that have the disease.

“What we know is that HIV is a virus that thrives off silence and feeds on stigma. Every single one of us has a responsibility to educate ourselves. To do what we can to speak out and stamp out the silence, ignorance, and fear that the virus needs to win,” he said before encouraging the audience to learn more about the disease.

Also coming out to support their cousin’s charity were Princess Beatrice and Eugenie, Peter and Autumn Phillips and Mike Tindall. Princess Mabereng Seeiso joined her husband in London.

Filed under Lesotho, The United Kingdom
Tagged Autumn Phillips, Celebrities, Concert, HIV/AIDS, Mike Tindall, Music, Patronage, Peter Phillips, Prince Harry of Wales, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York, Sentebale.