Prince Harry Continues HIs Mother's HIV Work

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The Prince of Wales has taken up Princess Diana's mantle in addressing the disease.

Earlier this year Prince Harry got an HIV test on camera to raise awareness — taking the rapid quick test on Facebook Live, an event that garnered over two million views, to show people how easy it is to know your status. Now the Prince of Wales has continued his work, by visiting the same hospital his mother did in 1989.

In the first decade of the HIV epidemic, when stigma and misinformation were still rampant, Princess Diana publicly supported people with HIV. She visited the Mildmay Hospital in East London, which has become Europe's leading specialist in treating patients with HIV-related illness. On her historic visit 27 years ago, Diana kissed a patient dying of AIDS related complications. In an era where many people still believed you could get HIV through causual contact, her act was a brave act against stigma.

Just as Diana changed many people’s perception of the disease, Prince Harry is now doing the same, embracing his mother’s legacy in de-stigmatizing the disease. According to Sky News Harry told the hospital’s fundraising manager Kerry Reeves-Kneip, that it was a “big deal” when his mother did so. Reeves-Kneip added, "She came at such an important time, around this area local barbers wouldn't cut staff's hair [because they treated patients with HIV]. She really did break down the stigma."