Desmond Tutu has passed away at the age of 90. He passed away in South Africa on Sunday, at a care center. The New York Times said Archbishop Tutu had been battling cancer for some time. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his anti-apartheid work, and his work with reconciliation and rebuilding South Africa into a Black-majority-led nation. Archbishop Tutu became a humanitarian icon and many people would make the pilgrimage to South Africa to meet both him and Nelson Mandela.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were two of those people, although Prince Harry met Archbishop Tutu several times solo, before Harry even met Meghan. The Sussexes’ trip to South Africa in the fall of 2019 was the first “public event” for then-baby Archie. Archie was more delighted with the cakes on display than with meeting Archbishop Tutu, but it was still completely adorable. Soon after Tutu’s passing had been announced, Meghan and Harry released a statement:
In their statement, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan lauded his life’s work and reflected on their son Archie’s 2019 meeting with Tutu and his daughter Thandeka in Cape Town.
“Archbishop Tutu will be remembered for his optimism, his moral clarity, and his joyful spirit. He was an icon for racial justice and beloved across the world. It was only two years ago that he held our son, Archie, while we were in South Africa – ‘Arch and The Arch’ he had joked, his infectious laughter ringing through the room, relaxing anyone in his presence. He remained a friend and will be sorely missed by all.”
It’s sweet. On a political level, the Sussexes’ statement stands shoulder-to-shoulder with statements made by Queen Elizabeth, Barack Obama, President Biden and Princess Charlene. Which makes perfect sense.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was a mentor, a friend, and a moral compass for me and so many others. A universal spirit, Archbishop Tutu was grounded in the struggle for liberation and justice in his own country, but also concerned with injustice everywhere. pic.twitter.com/qiiwtw8a5B
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) December 26, 2021
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
His laughter was contagious.
A nice video of him with the Dali Lama talking about their friendship and work.
Have you read their book – The Book of Joy? I highly recommend it, I keep going back to it multiple times, it’s just such a wonderful read.
RIP Archbishop Tutu, you may be gone but your legacy will live on.
Thank you so much for recommending this book. I’m going to head out to the bookstore this week and pick it up!
I found this as I was looking for the interview with Craig Ferguson.
Enjoy!! This was five months ago!!
https://youtu.be/Lnad7ejKOXU
Scarlet I am going to lookfor that book, thank you.
Hope you enjoy the book as much as I do MaryContrary and Sid. I bought a second copy, because the first one has a lot of notations and highlights, worth it!
Thank you BothSidesNow!
RIP Arch Desmond Tutu….there are few like you on this earth! too many are always willing to be “Neutral”.
Some blessings are always disguised….by being sent on trips (maybe because he was asked and not W or W didn’t want to go), H ends up being the ones with the pictures with some of our all time greats!
Very well said. The lazies have never toured a single country in Africa. Instead, they advocate for its population to be culled. Glad they never got a photo with this great man.
The Cambridges are the couple most likely to support the apartheid, so it’s no surprise they have no photo with Archbishop Desmond Tutu or any comment in his passing.
May his soul rest in perfect peace. Archie meeting the Archbishop was one of the highlights of the Sussexes’ SA trip for me and it’s been the most used royal photo in the news.
He was a great man. Harry and Meghan’s statement was very thoughtful and their anecdote about Archie meeting the Archbishop was very sweet.
“Arch and the Arch.” Too cute. His moral clarity and laughter will be sorely missed indeed.
That moment between the archbishop and Archie and Meghan was so sweet and genuine. And those photos of Harry with him are just wonderful. We have lost and extraordinary man.
If y’all have time, look up Archbishop Tutu’s interview with Craig Ferguson.
Easily one of the best I have ever watched.
Rest In Power Archbishop Tutu.
That was marvelous!
Thank you for the recommendation. It was great!
Rest In Peace Archbishop Tutu! I have “God is not a Christian” and “The Book of Joy,” will def reread in coming weeks.
The Sussexes absolutely stand with the Obamas, the Queen and Princess Charlene. They met him as statespeople, and they continue to be social forces who speak on (the right side of) politics. They are so credible and sincere as global voices, before they joined forces and even more so now, I love it.
The picture of the Bishop with the Duchess and Archie means so much now. I look at with different eyes and feel so touched. The photo is slice of history that speaks volumes if we would just listen.
Word. 🙏🏼♥️
In the year 2003, there was a big protest in New York City at the U.N. when George W. Bush decided to go to war in the Persian Gulf. (It was during the Giuliani years and Giuliani severely restricted the rights of protestors to a small area, blocked in.) Archbishop Tutu was in New York at the time and I went to church right beside the U.N. that morning to hear him speak before the protest. He was tiny but his voice was powerful and sweetness just radiated from him. The church was pretty full, but I’m not sure why it wasn’t standing room only. He spoke about children and their love and openness, and I really don’t think I’ll ever forget being in that room with him. A truly Godly person.
Thank you for sharing.
Your story is incredibly touching. Thank you for sharing it!!
Also, thank you to those who recommended the book with the Archbishop Tutu, as I will now purchase it.
And we have *crickets* from the Cambridges. How can they have their heads so far up their a$$es that they can’t eulogize a truly miraculous human being?
Betty’s handlers apparently thought they could cvr up for the fact tht a eulogy from the cambiitches wd be inauthentic & be ridiculed so Betty’s statement incl a line tht she was spkng on behalf of “my entire family.”
However, CH never got tht memo so Charles issued his own statement. And I’m sure tht many people knew the Sussexes wd issue their own statement so I also suspect tht Betty’s line abt spkng for her “entire family” was meant to be viewed as not incl the Sussexes.
and Charles too apparently…..royalists can be so weird
Do the Cambridge’s have a relationship with anyone outside of the Island I never hear them having a conversation or a positive statement about anyone and that includes someone like the PM of NZ?
I actually think the BP statement was supposed to be for all the houses. But when the Sussexes released their statement and it received so much attention; CH decided to release their own. CH doesn’t care that it would make KP stand out for not releasing one. Since Charles does so many things “on his own” he can justify it.
The 2nd in line to the throne and his consort couldn’t issue a statement? This is your future GB.
He was a defiant beacon of hope during the dark days of apartheid. If only more people in powerful religious positions would speak out so boldly about the many injustices everywhere.
I must add that the pictures of him with the Sussexes are all so beautiful.
When Bishop Tutu kissed little Archie’s head my heart melted -this is a photo that Archie and his parents will cherish forever.
This is a great loss to the world. May this incredibly kind man Rest In Peace.