Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to head to New York on Saturday as the pair are set to attend the Global Citizen Live event.
The event is being held to urge world leaders from the G7 and European Union to adopt a vaccines equity policy to help end the COVID-19 pandemic. The group is urging those leaders to share at least one billion doses of the vaccine with those most in need. It’s also calling on them to waive vaccine intellectual property rights.
The royal couple has been vocal about making it easier to access the vaccine and urged people to support the Global Citizen COVAX campaign in honour of their son Archie’s second birthday.
The Duke of Sussex made a solo appearance at Global Citizen’s VAX Live concert back in May. The royal spoke for three minutes about the importance of making vaccinations borderless.
He was greeted by the thousands-strong crowd at Los Angeles’ So-Fi Stadium with a standing ovation. “We are at a defining moment in the global fight against COVID-19,” he said. “Tonight is a celebration of each of you here.”
Speaking to the frontline workers in attendance, he continued: “You spent the last year battling courageously and selflessly to protect us all, and you served and sacrificed yourselves with bravery.“
Earlier this month, at the GQ Awards, the Duke said he was “deeply honoured” to virtually present the Heroes of the Year award to Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, Dr Catherine Green and the team behind the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.
He later said: “The Oxford Team have done their part. They are heroes of the highest order who gave us an instrument to fight this disease. They are our nation’s pride, and we are deeply indebted to their service.“
Harry also condemned the “mass-scale misinformation across ‘news’ media and social media, where those who peddle in lies and fear are creating vaccine hesitancy, which in turn is dividing communities and eroding trust”.
The Global Citizen Live concert, which is being held on 25 September, will be streamed and take place in various cities around the world including New York, London and Sydney. The New York portion will be broadcast from Central Park.
