Prince Harry had royal fans cheering and screaming as he arrived at the MAXXI Museum in Rome. The fourth-in-line to the throne was paying a visit to the art museum as part of his whistle-stop tour of Italy, following a brief visit to Estonia. As he arrived, Harry, 29, was greeted by throngs of well-wishers who stood behind barriers and eagerly waved Union Jack flags. The crowds couldn't hide their excitement as they saw Harry walk towards them and called out his name to try and grab his attention.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince Harry delighted fans waiting outside the museum in Rome
Harry willingly obliged, bending down to chat to youngsters and shaking their hands. The Prince proved quite a hit with the locals as he was pictured laughing, joking and taking photos with fans on their phones. Harry was visiting the National Museum of 21st Century Arts to announce that the award-winning artist Wolfgang Buttress had been chosen to design the British Pavilion for the Milan Expo, which will take place next year. The Expo will focus on the themes of sustainability and development — issues which the young Prince had called "close to [his] heart" in a speech that he gave once inside the museum. Harry was also given the honour of unveiling Wolfgang's design, which was inspired by honeybees.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince Harry stopped to chat to youngsters and take photos with the crowds
"Like many of you here today I feel hugely responsible for the next generation," Harry said at the start of his speech. The royal then went on to talk about the importance of making communities self-sufficient and recalled his experiences with Sentebale — the charity that he co-founded alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help vulnerable children in the African nation. "How can we best help communities in developing countries to help themselves?" said Harry. "Supporting them to bring an end to extreme poverty and the effects of the chronic diseases — such as HIV — must surely be a priority. "Together we can succeed in improving the quality of life in such communities across the developing world and in doing so, bring the hope of a brighter future to millions and millions of children. I have seen firsthand the effect such work can have on parents but particularly children, through the work of Sentebale in Lesotho."
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince Harry spoke about the importance of helping vulnerable communities
Harry then said that he hoped the Expo would help focus attention on these issues and emphasise the need to continue "working towards a better future for those less fortunate".
The following day Harry paid his respects to soldiers who had fallen during World War II with a visit to the Cassino Commonwealth War Cemetery. Dressed in traditional military uniform, the army captain laid a wreath which had a personalised message tied to it.
"In memory of all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Thank you. Harry," it read.
