Harry and Meghan visit South Africa’s oldest mosque on day 2 of tour
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex donned a headscarf for the first time at South Africa’s oldest mosque as she opened up to locals about travelling with Archie.
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Meghan has worn a headscarf during a visit to Cape Town’s oldest mosque in what could become an iconic photograph.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited the Auwal mosque in the Bo-Kaap area of central Cape Town, which has been fighting to preserve its heritage from gentrification.
The former slave area, where the houses were painted in bright colours to celebrate their freedom at the end of apartheid, has a large Muslim community.
Meghan and Harry met with Muslim, Christian and Jewish leaders at the mosque as they all work towards greater friendships and understanding between faiths.
The royal couple were shown the first known Qu’ran in Africa, which was drafted from memory by Tuan Guru when he was a prisoner on Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was jailed.
Meghan wore a $480 maxi dress from Staud, called the ‘Millie’, during her visit to the Bo-Kaap area.
The dress is made from recycled tissue nylon and was expected to sell out.
The couple wandered through the streets of Bo-Kaap following their visit to the Auwal mosque, which was built in 1794.
Events included meetings with several religious leaders, as the mosque hosts interfaith dialogues in the famously diverse city.
The royal couple’s 10-day, multi-country tour also includes stops for Harry in Botswana, Angola and Malawi with a focus on wildlife protection, mental health and mine clearance.
Minstrel bands created a party atmosphere to celebrate the Heritage Day public holiday in South Africa.
Harry and Meghan then stopped for afternoon tea at the home of Shaamiela Samodien, where they were given a feast fit for royalty.
According to The Daily Mirror, Waseefa Majiet, 58, a friend of the hosts, said about Meghan: “She was speaking about motherhood and the transition and said that Archie was a good traveller.
“She said the transition was quite smooth because he’s an easy baby and he was an easy traveller, Harry said he slept on his chest almost 11 hours (during the flight).”
The duke and duchess sat side by side at a dinner table laden with cakes and other sweet treats, from egg custards and profiteroles to a traditional Malay doghnut-type delicacy know as Koeksisters, made from cinnamon, cardamom and ginger.
Mrs Shaamiela, 63, said the duke told the group about his love for Africa: “ ‘It’s like coming home’ he said. She’s warm and she’s friendly and she shares his passion for Africa.
The homemade fare included a doughnut like creation covered in coconut, as well as an array of other cakes.
Meghan said she enjoyed the doughnut treat.
“She said it was subtle spices,” a proud Mrs Samodien said.
She added they were comfortable in their surroundings and asked after her family.
“They didn’t act like royals,” she said.
The Duke and Duchess also stopped to meet local children during a walkabout in Bo-Kaap.
Suancuna, 7, said: “I thought she was very pretty, I thought she was brilliant.”
Yakhani Siwundla, 9, shook Harry’s hand and received a hug from Meghan.
“I got to shake his hand and then I met the princess who gave me a hug, it felt nice, it was sweet. She asked me for a hug,” he said.
Liz Goussard, 35, of Cape Town, spoke with Meghan in the Bo-Kaap area.
“She didn’t say much to me, but I did say that I love her and that she’s gorgeous,” she said.
“I said to her that she is a real asset to the British monarchy and she turned around and was like ‘thank you so much.’ I just think she’s really gorgeous and she and Harry will move mountains. There’s so much hate towards her and I think people just need to welcome her with open arms.”
Yesterday, Prince Harry had no intention of curbing his desire to dance on the second day of his royal tour of Africa with Meghan Markle.
Surfers laughed and danced with the royal pair as they told them about the mental health benefits of catching a wave.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex headed to a windy Monwabisi Beach, 38km southeast of Cape Town as they hit the ground running.
The royal couple and the surfers were greeted with small onshore waves perfect for beginners on the spectacular beach which has a view of mountains on the South African coastline.
However, the windy conditions caused a last-minute change and some of the event was held on the foreshore rather than the sand.
Meghan, wearing black pants, a white shirt and a denim jacket, joined in as the surfers sang and danced in their pre-surf routine.
Harry, wearing a green shirt and beige pants, also joined in the dancing.
They danced “shoulder to shoulder” and “hips to hips” according to the chant with Meghan breaking out in laughter as she tried to keep up with the moves.
The pair then joined in a circle with the surfers from charity Waves for Change where they discussed the importance of mental health and practised meditation.
The charity supports vulnerable young people living in difficult circumstances in South Africa and uses surfing to help them deal with their problems.
The couple also saw how donations made on behalf of their baby son, Archie, have been used to help The Lunchbox Fund, which provides 30,000 meals each day to people in townships and rural areas.
The tour so far has been a flurry of excitement amid speculation that the Duchess of Sussex could be pregnant.
Meghan arrived with Prince Harry for their second engagement of their royal tour of South Africa sporting an outfit change.
After wearing a black-and-white print maxi wrap dress by Myamiko the couple’s first engagement of the day, a visit to Cape Town’s Nyanga township, Meghan arrived at the District Six Museum wearing a sky blue dress featuring a wrap waist and button details down
Meghan previously wore the dress during the couple’s visit to Tonga’s Tupou College in October 2018, when she was pregnant with baby Archie.
Her outfit sparked a flurry of excitement with some fans speculating Meghan could be pregnant again.
On the second day of the tour, the royals will be guests of Wave for Change, a charity that supports vulnerable young people living in difficult circumstances in South Africa.
The couple will also see how donations made on behalf of their baby son, Archie, have been used to help The Lunchbox Fund, which provides 30,000 meals each day to people in townships and rural areas.
The Duke will also visit the City of Cape Town Marine Unit, which fights abalone poachers.
Later the couple will tour Auwal Mosque, the oldest in South Africa, built in 1794.
Meghan was expected to wear a headscarf for the visit, as the couple continue to show their commitment to supporting interfaith talks.
Early on Tuesday morning Australian time, Harry and Meghan learned how Cape Town residents were “trying to heal” after the history of apartheid in South Africa.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex toured the District Six Museum in central Cape Town, where 60,000 people were forcibly moved on when the area was declared whites only in the 1970s.
The couple also walked the streets between the museum and the District Six Homecoming
Centre, with crowds shouting their names as they stopped to meet well wishers.
Some were also yelling to see baby, Archie, who has not been listed for any official engagements and is staying with his nanny at their residence.
Bonita Bennett, director of the District Six Museum, hosted Harry and Meghan at both District Six venues, where they were told the stories of the dispossessed through food and music.
“It seemed to be emotional and they seemed to connect very much with the people centredness of the approach that we have,” Ms Bennett said.
“It was a very human story and I think they related very much to that.
“(Meghan) seemed a bit overwhelmed at times. It’s quite a lot.”
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Ms Bennett said the museum was designed to show how Cape Town residents were “trying to heal from the past and how we’re trying to move forward.”
The Duke and Duchess were also shown the food that was eaten in the District Six area before the residents were forced out.
They were given a tomato stew and a potato pudding, which Ms Bennett said was the couple’s highlight.
Some groups had been concerned about the Duke and Duchess’ visit because of their links to colonialism.
However, Ms Bennett said the District Six visit was for the royal family to learn about the history, not a forum to discuss restitution.
stephen.drill@news.co.uk
Originally published as Harry and Meghan visit South Africa’s oldest mosque on day 2 of tour
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