The Duke of Sussex’s warm bedside manor was reminiscent of the late Princess Diana Prince Harry’s emotional exchange at his latest engagement was reminiscent of his late mother, Princess Diana.
On May 10, the Duke of Sussex, 39, paid a solo visit to the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Kaduna on his first day in Nigeria with wife Meghan Markle. The Duke of Sussex, a former captain in the British Armed Forces and founding patron of the Invictus Games, took one young man’s hand during his tour of the wards in a move that channeled his mother Princess Diana.
“Are they helping you? Are you feeling better?” Prince Harry asked at the bedside of Private Habu Sadiq in a video captured by PEOPLE’s chief foreign correspondent Simon Perry, who is exclusively covering the Duke and Duchess’s outings in Nigeria. “Get better, be strong,” Harry told the soldier, who had suffered from impaired eyesight due to a blast.
The Duke of Sussex similarly squatted next to the bed of another patient, and posed for a photo with officials. The late Princess of Wales was known for her hands-on way with hospital patients and dedicated much of her public platform to smash stigmas around HIV/AIDS and raise awareness of landmines, among other key causes.
“She was not really a gloves person,” Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer previously told PEOPLE. “She was very real and very about human contact.” Her son brought the same warmth to the hospital on May 10, where he met injured service members and toured approximately six wards, witnessing rows of young men recovering from various injuries, including gunshot wounds, ambushes by Boko Haram and limb loss due to blasts.
Prince Harry shook hands with around 50 soldiers, remarking on what was on the TV in each ward, from a Real Madrid vs. Bayern Munich re-run to the news. Many had been hospitalized for a year or more. Prince Harry encouraged them, saying, “You are going to get better, get back on your feet.”
During the visit, 23-year-old Corp Yusef, who had been shot through the knee, spoke to Harry. The Duke asked about his rehabilitation progress, asking, “Are you going to try for the Invictus Games team? Are you preparing for that?” He then gestured towards his friend David Wiseman, who was present and is overseeing the international expansion of the Invictus Games, saying, “Don’t disappoint us or him! We’ll see you there.” As Harry left the ward, Yusef was doing push-ups on the bed to show his motivation to get ready.
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