Prince Harry has been on a series of whirlwind trips over the past few months, with the Invictus Games in Toronto, a rumoured introduction between his girlfriend and the queen at Buckingham Palace, and a spell in Denmark where he hung out with Queen hanging out with Queen Margrethe.
Now, he’s jetted off to the United States to catch up with former president Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle.
Harry and Michelle surprised students at Hyde Park Academy, a school in Chicago’s South Side, where they spent more than an hour chatting and having a “warm and wide-ranging” conversation with the students. Hyde Park Academy is situated opposite the future site of the Obama Presidential Center.
Both the former first lady and the British royal shared pictures from the meet-up on their official Instagram accounts, much to the delight of their combined 19 million followers.
“[The conversation] covered how the Obama Presidential Center will showcase the South Side of Chicago for a global audience, the importance of young people staying inspired and hopeful, and the transformative power of students using their voices to change the world. Prince Harry is on a short visit to Chicago where he will speak at the Obama Foundation Summit later,” the Kensington Royal Instagram account captioned a series of photographs.
Mrs. Obama and Prince Harry surprised approximately 20 students at Hyde Park Academy, a high school across from the future site of the Obama Presidential Center on the South Side of Chicago. The warm and wide-ranging conversation, lasting over an hour, covered how the Obama Presidential Center will showcase the South Side of Chicago for a global audience, the importance of young people staying inspired and hopeful, and the transformative power of students using their voices to change the world. Prince Harry is on a short visit to Chicago where he will speak at the Obama Foundation Summit later.
“Thanks to my friend Prince Harry for joining me today to surprise these remarkable students at Hyde Park Academy on the South Side. We were blown away by their passion, ambition and talent!” Michelle captioned her photographs.
Michelle also posted a picture of herself and husband Barack in the lead-up to the event.
“Thrilled to be back home on the South Side! [Barack] and I can’t wait to spend the next few days with young leaders from across the country and around the world. Join us as we kick off the [Obama Foundation] Summit by tuning in at obama.org,” she captioned the photo, which shows her and Barack smiling sweetly at the camera.
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Prince Harry and both Barack and Michelle Obama are expected to speak at the inaugural youth leadership summit over the course of the two-day event. Renowned politicians and celebrities are among the attendees.
The Obamas began their journey towards the presidency in Chicago, where Barack’s campaign was based, and where he also worked as the Illinois State Senator. Barack was recently called to serve jury duty in Chicago, and is reportedly planning to attend.
The friendship between Harry and the Obamas has been well-documented since 2013, and they’ve travelled back and forth to visit each other both during and after the Obama presidency. Barack caught up with Harry at the Invictus Games in Toronto, where he was accompanied by former US vice president Joe Biden and his wife, Dr Jill Biden.