Pince Harry says photo of Diana meeting Nelson Mandela is 'in my heart everyday'

Prince Harry spoke of a treasured photograph depicting a meeting between his late mother Princess Diana and former South African president Nelson Mandela, in a speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) on Monday.

Harry took part in the UN's Nelson Mandela International Day commemorations by giving a keynote speech at an informal meeting of the General Assembly in New York, Newsweek reports.

The appearance from the prince, who was also joined by Meghan Markle, marked the couple's first public event since attending Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.

Opening his speech, Harry paid tribute to Mandela by saying: "Those of us not fortunate enough to know Mandela well have come to understand the man through his legacy, the letters he wrote alone in his prison cell, the speeches he delivered to his people, and those incredible shirts he sported."

The prince continued to say that how many people have come to know Mandela today is through photographs of the late leader who died in 2013.

Harry then gave an example of a touching image he keeps close to him.

"We've also come to know him through the photographs of a person who, even when confronting unimaginable cruelty and injustice, almost always had a smile on his face. For me, there's one photo in particular that stands out," he said.

Diana had met with Mandela just months before her untimely death at the age of 36 in a Paris car crash. The princess was on a private visit to South Africa during which she visited with her brother Earl Spencer who lived there.

During the visit, Diana had a special meeting with Mandela where the two discussed her important work with HIV/AIDS as well as landmines. The pair posed for a photographer after their meeting with both laughing and appearing relaxed in each other's company. It is very possible that the image Harry referred to came from this session.