Britain's Prince Harry will represent Queen Elizabeth at the Nelson Mandela memorial service.
The flame-haired royal has been chosen to stand in for his grandmother at next Monday's (03.03.14) Westminster Abbey service honouring the former South African President, who passed away aged 95 in December.
The special National Service of Thanksgiving will be broadcast by the BBC and will also include a speech by South African social rights activist and retired Anglican bishop, Desmond Tutu.
Prince William and Duchess Catherine were attending the royal premiere of biopic 'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' at the time they learned of the iconic leader's death.
William commented: "It's obviously extremely sad and tragic news. We were just reminded of what an extraordinary and inspiring man Nelson Mandela was, and my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family."
Prince Charles also released a statement after Mandela's passing, saying, "Mr Mandela was the embodiment of courage and reconciliation. He was also a man of great humour and had a real zest for life. With his passing, there will be an immense void not only in his family's lives, but also in those of all South Africans."
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