Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Share 'Powerful Quote' from Nelson Mandela in New Instagram Post
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are preparing for their trip to South Africa — and what better way to do it than with a “powerful quote” by one of the country’s most influential figures?
On Monday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex started their week by sharing a quote about leadership on their joint Instagram account from South Africa’s former president, Nelson Mandela.
The quote comes ahead of the couple’s trip to the country, which will also mark their first royal tour as a family of three following the birth of their son Archie in May.
“Sharing a powerful quote to start the week,” Meghan, 38, and Harry, 34, wrote beside a photo of Mandela’s quote that read, “‘It is so easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.'”
A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Sep 2, 2019 at 11:23am PDT
In the caption of the post, the royal couple wrote, “Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a true leader, a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and philanthropist who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.”
“Please discover one of the chosen accounts for this month @NelsonMandelaFoundationSA for more inspiring quotes,” they added.
Meghan and Harry’s inspirational quote appears to be a possible swipe at the critics who recently slammed them for their decision to use a private jet to get to their vacation destination, as some claimed it contradicts their stance on protecting the environment.
Though the royal couple never addressed the negative comments, they had plenty of support from the Hollywood community, including Ellen DeGeneres, Pink, Jessica Mulroney, Jameela Jamil, and Elton John, who admitted he provided the plane and allowed Meghan and Harry to stay at his home in Nice, France.
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
Their post with Mandela’s quote comes just one day after Harry opened up about their first royal tour as a family of three.
“In just a few weeks our family will be taking its first official tour to Africa, a region of the world that over the past two decades has been a second home to me,” he wrote on their joint Instagram. “Our team has helped create a meaningful progreamme that we’re so excited to share with you.”
The royal went on to share that he has another reason for looking forward to the journey.
“On a personal note, I can’t wait to introduce my wife and son to South Africa! We’ll see all of you very soon,” he wrote on Sunday, signing the note “The Duke.”
During the trip, the family of three will visit the country of South Africa, and Harry will also be making stops in Malawi, Angola and Botswana.
As Sunday marked the start of a new month, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex also used the post to continue their monthly tradition of shining a spotlight on different groups of inspiring charities.
In honor of their upcoming trip, this time around all of the groups were focused on Africa.
“These selected groups are a small representation of the incredible work being done in Africa today from countless people, local communities and organisations,” the post read.
The selected groups includes the HALO Trust, a humanitarian mine clearance organization, Painted Wolf Conservancy, an animal conservancy initiative in Zimbabwe, the Nelson Mandela Foundation, a social justice organization, as well as Harry’s African kids’ charity, Sentebale, which supports the mental health and wellbeing of young people whose lives have been affected by HIV in southern Africa.
The royal couple have traveled to Africa together several times, including a trip to Botswana early in their relationship in the summer of 2016 — after just two dates over two consecutive days in London.
They returned in 2017 to celebrate Meghan’s 36th birthday and recently shared a never-before-seen photo of their trip on their new Instagram account which showed them assisting with conversation efforts with elephants.
Africa is a place close to Harry’s heart — he’s even called it his “second home” — and he has visited the continent on many occasions beginning as a young boy. In 1997, he joined his father in South Africa for a visit to a Zulu village — and memorably met the Spice Girls ahead of their concert in Johannesburg.
Throughout the years, Harry has made both public and private trips to the country. He’s helped with conservation work, especially with rhinos and elephants, in addition to getting to know its people and their struggles.
Meghan has ties to Africa as well. In 2016, she became the Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada, traveling to Rwanda for the Clean Water Campaign.
