'My mother would be so proud of me': Prince Harry pays tribute to Diana as he wows White House with charity visit in aid of Halo Trust and is greeted by hundreds of screaming fans
- Female staffers at Capitol Hill ushered back to their desks by police after gathering for a peek at the British prince
- Sen. John McCain: 'In all my years, I've been coming here, I've never seen such an unbalanced gender gap'
- Michelle Obama welcomed Harry to charity event for military wives and their children
- Finished day at a reception held by British ambassador where he met with wealthy donors and influential policymakers
- Diana highlighted work of Halo Trust when she was pictured wearing face mask and protective clothing at a minefield
By REBECCA ENGLISH and LYDIA WARREN
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Prince Harry said his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, would be 'proud' of his work supporting an anti-landmine charity she championed.
Harry's comments came at the start of his week-long U.S. tour where he has already received a warm welcome from First Lady Michelle Obama and was greeted by screaming female admirers when he opened an exhibition, on Washington's Capitol Hill, promoting the work of the anti-landmine charity the Halo Trust.
The seven-day visit is the Prince's first trip to America since he caused outrage by being photographed naked during a weekend break in Las Vegas last year.
Harry gave a speech in support of the Halo Trust at a British embassy reception attended by US policy-makers, supporters of the anti-landmine charity and potential donors.
Diana famously highlighted the work of the charity when she was pictured wearing a face mask and protective clothing during a visit to a minefield being cleared by the trust in Angola in 1997.
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Visit to the White House: Michelle Obama welcomed Prince Harry to her home after his arrival in the U.S.
Reception: Prince Harry surprised military wives and their children who were attending a charity event
Royal welcome: Prince Harry and Michelle Obama were joined by Jill Biden, the vice president's wife
The royal, who is patron of the trust's 25th anniversary appeal, told the guests: 'My mother, who believed passionately in this cause, would be proud of my association with Halo.
'In her special way, she adopted it as her own. She would join me - along with all of you, I'm sure - in praising Halo for the amazing work that it has done over the past quarter century, and in hoping that one day soon its humanitarian work will be done.'
He added: 'At any one time, Halo has seven thousand de-miners in the field, striving to protect people, and banish the fear that pervades the lives of millions around the world.
'In Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Kosovo, in Somalia, Georgia and Armenia, the threat of landmines could be eradicated in the next five years, if funding can be sustained.
Anticipation: Female staffers excitedly gathered on Capitol Hill for a glimpse of the British prince
Like what you see? Female staffers are caught sneaking pictures of Prince Harry during his tour
Women staff on Capitol Hill wait to catch a glimpse of Britain's Prince Harry as he tours an exhibit
Proud: Diana, Princess of Wales walking near a minefield in Huambo, Angola. Prince Harry said his mother would be 'proud' of his work supporting an anti-landmine charity she championed
'If it were stepped up, in the next 10 years, countries like Cambodia, Angola, Colombia, Afghanistan, Burma and even Zimbabwe might have their landmine crises eliminated for good.'
Michelle Obama beat hundreds of adoring women to get closest to Prince Harry after Britain's most eligible bachelor joined her at the White House at the start of his week-long U.S. tour.
The First Lady welcomed the 28-year-old prince to her home on Thursday afternoon for a reception in honor of military mothers and their children after he caused a stir in Washington D.C.
As well as meeting Sen. John McCain at Capitol Hill, he was welcomed by a bevvy of grinning female staffers - who were promptly ushered back inside by police, according to their colleagues' tweets.
'If all the women on Capitol Hill were dust bunnies, #princeharry would be a Dyson Vacuum. Every woman is gone. Every. Single. One,' Chris Mickey tweeted before the royal's arrival.
When the women were asked to leave, sparking 'grumpy faces' according to further tweets, they swiftly found other balconies over which to peer at the prince
At his last event of the day, Harry entertained US policy makers and wealthy donors at a British embassy reception.
Harry chatted with 200 guests at the champagne bash hosted by British ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott and the HALO Trust anti-landmines charity before a dinner for 37 key influential donors and decision-makers.
In the sweltering humidity, the Prince repeatedly mopped his brow as he stood in a receiving line to greet each guest before working the room.
Among them were numerous American politicians, and President Obama's deputy national security adviser Anthony Blinken.
Guy Willoughby, director of the Halo Trust, praised Harry's determination to continue his mother's work.
'In some ways he has more fervour even than Princess Diana because he has seen so many British and other troops losing their legs on duty in places like Afghanistan,' Mr Willoughby said.
'So in many ways it's a more personal cause for him. It goes with his work for Walking With the Wounded and Help for Heroes.'
Evening activities: Prince Harry then attended a reception at the British Ambassador's residence where a number of wealthy donors to the anti-landmine charity attended as well as policy makers
Greetings from England: Prince Harry shook hands while flanked by British Ambassador Sir Peter Westmacott (to Harry's left) and his wife Lady Westmacott (right)
Doing his duty: Following the larger reception, a smaller group of only 37 guests stayed for dinner where the Prince addressed the room
BRUNCH, POLO GAME AND MEETING SURVIVORS OF SUPERSTORM SANDY: PRINCE HARRY'S SCHEDULE
Friday May 10: Harry visits Arlington National Cemetery where he will lay a wreath, before heading to the Walter Reed Military Medical Center to meet wounded US servicemen. In the evening, he will attend a Foreign and Commonwealth reception
Saturday May 11: Prince Harry will spend day at the Warrior Games for wounded servicemen and women. The day will start with his meeting members of the UK team and attending a brunch before going to the opening ceremony and watching a volleyball game
Sunday May 12: In Colorado Springs, Colorado, Harry will go to an airforce academy sports event before presenting medals
Monday May 13: Prince Harry will travel and spend the day privately
Tuesday May 14: He will visit survivors of Superstorm Sandy in Mantoloking, New Jersey with Gov. Chris Christie and attend charity Baseball event and later, a Royal Foundation fundraiser in New York
Wednesday May 15: Harry will take part in Sentebale Polo Cup game in Greenwich, Connecticut before touring the club and watching an afternoon match
Mr Willoughby said he was confident given more funds countries such as Kosovo, Sri Lanka, and Mozambique could be landmine-free within five years.
Other such as Afghanistan and Angola could be rid of the danger to civilians within 10 years, he said.
The British ambassador said Harry was helping to wave the flag for Britain and shine the spotlight on the cause.
Though his day ended on a serious note in gentile surroundings, it did not start that was as close to 500 screaming girls gave Harry a pop star reception when he arrived at the Russell Senate Office building on Capitol Hill.
But Harry barely glanced at them so keen was he to see the exhibition that awaited him in the company of former presidential candidate McCain.
Happy Carlock, 20, an intern from Texas said: 'You could hear hearts breaking all over the room when he left. He is so cute, better than I expected.'
Senator McCain said: 'He was kind of embarrassed [by the screaming], I think a normal reaction.'
'I'm sure it's not the first time he has had that experience, but in all the years I've been coming here I've never seen such an unbalanced gender gap.
The lady's watchful eye: Lady Westmacott, the wife of the British Ambassador, was seated to Harry's left and the two shared a nice moment during dinner
Dinner diplomacy: The Prince's other female companion for the evening was Teresa Heinz, the wife of Secretary of State John Kerry
Feeling the heat: The humid DC weather likely came as a surprise to the Prince as he was seen wiping his face with his hand and a handkerchief repeatedly
Sen McCain, a former fighter pilot who was held hostage after being shot down in Vietnam, added: 'He knew I had been shot down and I told him he was probably a much better pilot than me because he hadn't been shot down.'
The staffers were not the only ones who took to Twitter in light of Harry's trip, with many excited women voicing their excitement at welcoming the British prince.
'My Prince Harry senses are tingling,' one wrote, while another added: 'Happy that the world's most eligible bachelor is in the good ol' US of A.'
Harry's visit comes as Queen Elizabeth II, his grandmother, has cut back on her official duties, turning to her son Charles and grandsons, WIlliam and Harry, to step in in her place.
Gathering crowds: People prepare their cameras as they wait for Harry to arrive at Capitol Hill on Thursday
First engagement: Harry arrives outside the Senate to attend an exhibition presented by the HALO trust at Capitol Hill, Washington
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Here comes trouble! Prince Harry is greeted by senator John McCain at Capitol Hill, Washington DC on Thursday afternoon at the start of his nine-day tour of the United States
And Harry apparently makes the most of his jaunts abroad; last year he was a hit during his tour of the Caribbean and Latin America - and he was famously pictured playing pool in the nude in a Las Vegas hotel.
But with a jam-packed itinerary ahead of him, it is uncertain whether Harry will have time for a repeat.
Following the visit to Capitol Hill, Harry joined First Lady Michelle Obama at a charity event held in honor of military mothers and their children.
The President himself was out of town on business, but his wife couldn’t hide her delight at being able to welcome British royalty to the seat of power.
It was a remarkable moment for the prince, who has long struggled to shake off his playboy image, and signals a new, more mature role for
Harry, just days after his grandmother the Queen announced she was scaling back the extent of her own official travel.
The royal heart-throb's attendance had been kept a secret from the 170 guests in advance and made his way to the presidential home in an extensive convoy as the youngsters enjoyed afternoon tea.
Prince Harry was greeted with loud applause when he walked into the tea party in the East Room of the White House with Michelle Obama.
'Well, surprise!' said the First Lady, to more cheers. 'It is an honour to welcome Prince Harry to the White House today. As you all may know, Prince Harry is a captain in the Army Air Corps in the British Armed Forces.'
Then, after more cheers at that reference to Harry's military role, she went on: 'In January he returned from his second deployment to Afghanistan.
Watching how it works: Prince Harry has long been an activist for anti-landmine charities, much like his mother Lady Diana before him
Trying his hand: The Prince took a closer look at one of the anti-landmine devices in an effort to draw attention to the cause
Watching every move: The gaggle of young women (and a few men) were certainly more interested in the future king than the landmine mannequins
Moving on from business: Though they were at the Capitol building to tour the landmine detection equipment, even Senator McCain couldn't help pointing out the adoring masses
Fans: Women gather on a balcony to snap Prince Harry on their phones as he takes a tour beneath
'He has spent much of his time supporting our wounded warriors and the families of our fallen. This weekend he will be attending the 4th Annual Warrior Games at Colorado Springs.
'We are absolutely thrilled he could be with us today. He just arrived in DC. He only has a limited time here. But when he heard about this tea and all of you, he wanted to be here to personally thank you for all your service.'
Afterwards Prince Harry, accompanied by Mrs Obama and Dr Biden, went into the Blue Room to meet all the families one by one.
Harry bent down to talk to the children and posed while Jill Biden, the Vice President's wife, took photographs on the children's camera phones.
He pulled faces and joked with the children as he saw the gifts they had made for their mothers prompting Michelle Obama to joke that the parents were getting 'a couple of minutes of free babysitting'.
In the course of his visit that will take Harry of Wales from coast to coast, the high-born guest will meet with wounded veterans, take part in charity events benefiting inner-city youths and promote British business and tourism.
Welcome: Michelle introduced Prince Harry to the military families as Jill Biden looks on
Popular: Harry chatted with military mothers and their children, who did not know he would be there
Having a chat: Prince Harry talks to young children during an event hosted by Michelle Obama
His nine-day tour includes a stop in a New Jersey town ravaged by Hurricane Sandy. The destruction in the New Jersey beachside community of Mantoloking will prove to be quite a contrast to the polo fields of Connecticut where he will play in a charity tournament later in the visit.
Mantoloking Mayor George Nebel said Monday that Harry will take a short walk along Barnegat Lane, along the town's bay front, during a brief visit on May 14.
The prince will accompany Governor Chris Christie to Seaside Heights afterward.
'Security for this visit is being handled by the U.S. State Department so most of you won't get anywhere near' the prince, Nebel told residents.
The prince and Christie are scheduled to take 'a brief walk' along the roadway, which is in the less-seriously damaged section of the borough.
'He wanted to see the hardest-hit town in New Jersey,' Nebel said. 'He'll arrive by car, walk along the road to see 10 houses, back in the car with the governor and gone.'
Mantoloking was the Jersey shore town hit hardest by Superstorm Sandy, which was spawned in late October when Hurricane Sandy merged with two other weather systems.
Every one of its 521 homes was damaged or destroyed, and the storm surge split the narrow borough in half, cutting between the Atlantic Ocean and Barnegat Bay a new channel that took a massive emergency construction project to fill in.
Comfort from political leaders: The Prince will be meeting with Governor Chris Christie, seen here with President Obama just days after the storm hit. Much like President Obama, Prince Harry will be looking at two different New Jersey towns that were wrecked by the October storm
Harry is visiting various areas of the country from May 9 to 15 and wanted to include areas of the Jersey Shore that were devastated by Sandy.
The roguish heir to the British throne will also attend a reception at the British Ambassador's home and pay visits to Arlington National Cemetery to honor fallen soldiers and the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where Harry will spend time with wounded veterans.
The tour is not limited to New Jersey and Washington, as he will also attend a diplomatic reception in Denver, Colorado, as well as the 2013 Warrior Games in Colorado Springs - an event that benefits disabled veterans.
In New York City, Harry's visit will include an event promoting a community baseball program involving a new partnership with the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry, which bills itself as the culmination of the charity lives of Harry and his brother and sister-in-law, Prince William and Kate.
Harry will be promoting the charity's 'Coach Core,' which is an initiative dedicated to improving training facilities for inner-city kids.
Harry also will take in a polo cup match in Connecticut.
This marks Harry's first visit to the US since August, when the 28-year-old royal landed in hot water after he reportedly took part in a strip poker game at a casino hotel in Las Vegas.
On a pre-deployment 'lads' holiday' to Las Vegas, the third in line to the throne, was photographed playing a game of ’strip billiards’ with a group of women in his £5,000-a-night hotel suite.
Harry has always refused to publicly apologise for his antics, which caused huge embarrassment to the Royal Family, but begrudgingly admits he ‘let his family down’.
Different trip: Prince Harry's itinerary is quite busy and he is expected to have less time to party like he did during his last tour where he ended up playing strip poker in a Las Vegas hotel room
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2322162/Prince-Harry-pays-tribute-Diana-wows-White-House-charity-visit.html#ixzz2Ssaeulmz
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