Prince Harry's strict reason for not taking Meghan Markle on surprise Angola trip

Prince Harry is set for the second day of his unannounced trip to the African country of Angola to continue his work of helping to clear landmines from the war-torn nation. He arrived in the country's capital city of Luanda yesterday where he plunged straight into a programme of events.

This included a meeting with Angola's president, João Lourenço, and the prince was pictured sitting alongside other dignitaries for a discussion with the nation’s leader about the ongoing efforts to clear the war-torn country from unexploded landmines. However, many were quick to notice that the Duke of Sussex had made the trip alone, with his wife Meghan Markle and their children remaining in California.

And it seems there is an important reason as to why Meghan is not at Harry's side during the trip - and it's all down to security concerns. A source told Daily Mail: "The Duke won’t let his wife go to England over security concerns, so there was no chance he’d allow her to go to Angola to walk across landmines."

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Harry previously admitted in a BBC interview earlier this year that he "can’t see a world" in which he would be able to bring Meghan and their two children, Archie and Lilibet, to the UK without key security measures that were stripped from the Sussexes after they quit royal life in 2020 and relocated to America.

In a statement, CEO of The Halo Trust, James Cowan, said, "It was an honour to have an audience with His Excellency President Lourenço today alongside Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex to discuss HALO’s continued demining efforts in Angola.

“We thanked him for his extraordinary dedication to and investment in the vision of a mine-free country, and he expressed his intention to continue to support our work with a further significant contract for the next three years. Our partnership is strengthened and renewed, and we are grateful to President Laurenço for his leadership on this critical issue.”

Angola was ravaged by a brutal 27-year civil war that ended in 2002, but the country is still trying to uncover the millions of landmines buried across the countryside that still pose a threat to locals and wildlife.

Prince Harry has been a patron of the HALO Trust since 2019, when the Angolan government pledged £46million to create safe wildlife corridors and protect endangered species in conservation areas.

The charity and the Angolan government set a target of clearing all landmines by 2025 and Harry is said to hope that his presence there will boost efforts to meet the target. Since 1994, Halo has cleared more than 123,000 landmines, and works to transform former war zones into farmland, national parks and ‘safe’ villages.

The Duke of Sussex is hoping the publicity surrounding his surprise visit will encourage more donations from the Angolan government, as a source told the Daily Mail: “Usually these trips help to drive a bit more money from the government.”

Prince Harry’s trip to Angola echoes the same trip made by his late mother, Princess Diana, in 1997, who walked through an active minefield in Huambo, Angola, stepping out in partnership with the HALO Trust just months before her untimely passing.

Harry’s trip to Angola is the first time he has stepped out since rumours of peace talks between the Duke of Sussex and his estranged father, King Charles, emerged. Senior aides to both father and son held a secret peace summit last week - said to be a "significant" step in reuniting the feuding pair.

At least three representatives from either side were seen speaking at the Royal Over-Seas League which sits just three minutes from Clarence House. The meeting has prompted many to wonder if the aides had been discussing a possible meeting between the King and Harry, when he is due to visit the UK in September.