The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, paid a visit to the historic District Six Museum in Cape Town on Monday (September 22).
Meghan was seen coming off the plane with Archie in her arms Monday morning. But he stayed behind with his trusty nanny as his parents set off for a day of events in Cape Town.
Although the royal couple left son Archie with a nanny during the first stop of their royal tour of Africa — a visit to Cape Town’s Nyanga Township to take part in a workshop run by an NGO called Justice Desk, which teaches children about their rights, self-awareness and safety — their baby boy was top of mind. After the Duke of Duchess of Sussex gave powerful speeches, Jessica Dewhurst announced they had a “little gift” for them.
“When your beautiful boy was born you gave him the name Archie,” she said. “The name Archie means ‘bravery and strength.’ So to welcome Archie home, your family at the Justice Desk has given him the traditional South African name Ntsika. This name of Xhosa African origin means ‘pillar of strength.’ May you always be a pillar of strength for those who need you.”
District Six was one of the places which experienced forced removals of residents during apartheid and is one of the most historic places in South Africa. Over 60,000 residents are estimated to have been removed due to the racist policies.
Minister for Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane described it as “deeply significant and important for South Africa” that the couple met some of the children and young people who benefit from the Justice Desk initiative, which teaches vulnerable children in South Africa about their rights, self-awareness and safety.
The couple will put the spotlight on young people—and particularly women —during their trip, and requested to see townships in Cape Town and Johannesburg.“The general perception is that there’s nothing interesting to see in the townships and that it’s not for tourists, when actually they are culturally very important to South Africa,” Kubayi-Ngubane told media. “For the Sussexes, it’s a way for them to connect with ordinary South Africans’ Aides say this is high on the couple's agenda and that the couple want to meet as many people as possible.”
