Prince Harry to give keynote speech at UN General Assembly

The Duke of Sussex has booked his highest-profile job yet after sensationally quitting frontline royal duties and moving to the US.

Prince Harry is set for his highest-profile gig yet on US soil, as he heads to New York to make a keynote speech to the United Nations General Assembly for Nelson Mandela Day on July 18.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will both take part in the commemorative event at the General Assembly Hall, Fox News reports.

“The South African Mission to the UN confirmed yesterday that yes, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be taking part,” a spokesman for the President of the General Assembly said in a statement on Tuesday. “The Nelson Mandela Foundation selected the Duke and Duchess to participate.”

While further details were not provided, it is expected that Harry, 37, will give a speech, noted as his most important address since he and wife Meghan stepped down as senior members of the British royal family in 2020.

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Prince Harry will speak at the United Nations assembly. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

In 2009, the United Nations announced that July 18 would be named in Mandela’s honour to commemorate the former president of South Africa’s humanitarian efforts. The date also marks his birthday.

Mandela, who became one of the world’s most beloved statesmen and a colossus of the 20th century when he emerged from 27 years in prison to negotiate an end to white minority rule in South Africa, passed away in 2013 at age 95. With the recognition, the United Nations has encouraged its members to observe the day in honour of Mandela’s legacy in promoting peace around the world.

This is not the first time the couple has travelled to New York from California, where they currently reside with their two children.

In September 2021, they were in NYC for a Global Citizen Live event to call for vaccine equity. The couple also visited One World Trade Centre and the neighbouring September 11 memorial plaza. In addition, they appeared at the United Nations to meet with UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed during the world body’s annual gathering of leaders.

Harry and Meghan on September 23, 2021 in New York City. Picture: Taylor Hill/WireImage

In November 2021, they returned to honour veterans ahead of Veterans Day in the US and Remembrance Day in the UK. The pair attended the 2021 Salute to Freedom gala at the Intrepid Museum where Harry, who served in the British army for 10 years, presented the inaugural Intrepid Valour Awards to five service members, veterans and military families. The gala raised money for the museum’s educational program, as well as initiatives to support veterans.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit royal duties in early 2020 and moved from the UK to the US. They currently live in Montecito, California.

This article originally appeared in Fox News and was reproduced with permission