Proving that he's one of the coolest royals ever, Prince Harry took to the stage with Coldplay this week to close the Sentebale concert at Kensington Palace – and looked every inch the rock star alongside frontman Chris Martin.
The concert was held to raise funds and awareness of the challenges faced by young people affected by HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. Prince Harry founded Sentable in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, and the two friends took to the stage with a 12-strong choir for Coldplay's fitting finale performance of Up & Up.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrince Harry joined Coldplay on stage during a concert at Kensington Palace
It was during his gap year, aged 19, when Harry first visited Lesotho, where one in three children have lost a parent to AIDS related illnesses. Before Coldplay's performance on Tuesday evening, he gave a heart-warming speech about his time there and called for more to be done to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Prince Harry said: "What I saw there was a country with significant challenges; some of the world's most vulnerable people, robbed of their childhoods – forced into work due to extreme poverty and the loss of one or both parents due to the devastating HIV/AIDS epidemic. In some cases, the 'lady of the house' was a 12-year-old girl looking after her brothers and sisters."
© Photo: Getty ImagesHe also gave a speech and urged people to do more to stop the HIV/AIDS epidemic
Urging the crowd to get more involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS, Prince Harry continued: "If you have been moved by the stories you've heard, please commit to taking a little bit of time to learn about the fight against HIV in places like Lesotho, throughout Africa, and here in the UK as well.
"This is a topic that has drifted from the headlines, but remains an urgent challenge. In southern Africa, the epidemic remains the biggest killer of adolescents. Here in the UK, more people have the virus than ever."
He added: "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."
