Prince Harry Calls For Unity Amid COVID-19: “When Any Suffer, We All Suffer”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are doing their part to help people amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On Sunday night, Harry made his first public appearance since Prince Philip’s funeral as he attended the taping of Global Citizen’s VAX Live: The Concert to Reunite the World at the SoFi Stadium in LA. The couple is serving as Campaign Chairs of VAX Live – which “aims to inspire vaccine confidence worldwide and help get the COVID-19 vaccines to everyone, everywhere.”

Dressed casually in jeans and a button-down shirt, Harry gave an impassioned speech about “empathy and compassion” as he encouraged people to come together amidst the pandemic. “We are at a defining moment in the global fight against COVID-19. Tonight is a celebration of each of you here, the vaccinated frontline workers in the audience and the millions of frontline heroes around the world,” he said in his speech. “You spent the last year battling courageously and selflessly to protect us all. You served and sacrificed, put yourselves in harm’s way and with bravery, knowing the costs. We owe you an incredible depth of gratitude, thank you.”

He then directed his speech to everyone else, adding, “We’re also coming together because this pandemic cannot end unless we act collectively with an unprecedented commitment to our shared humanity. The vaccine must be distributed to everyone, everywhere. We cannot rest or truly recover until there is a fair distribution to every corner of the world. The mission in front of us is one we cannot afford to fail out, and that’s what tonight is about. The virus does not respect borders, and access to the vaccine cannot be determined by geography. It must be accepted as a basic right for all, and that is our starting point.”

He ended his speech by asking people to look “beyond ourselves” to help people we know and don’t know. “None of us should be comfortable thinking that we could be fine when so many others are suffering,” he said. “In reality, and especially with this pandemic, when any suffer, we all suffer. We must look beyond ourselves with empathy and compassion for those we know, and those we don’t. We need to lift up all of humanity and make sure that no person or community is left behind. What we do in this moment will stand in history, and tonight, we stand in solidarity with the millions of families across India who are battling a devastating second wave.”

See more pictures from his appearance at the event ahead, and be sure to tune in to the full event when it airs on May 8.

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