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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will visit the display marking one hundred years since Mandela’s birth.
The exhibits trace the campaigner’s career from activist to president through six separate themes: character, comrade, leader, prisoner, negotiator and statesman.
Prince Harry visited Mandela’s cell where he spent 18 years imprisoned by the apartheid regime on a 2015 trip to South Africa’s Robben Island.
On the same 2015 trip, the Duke also toured the statesman’s offices and met his widow, Graca Machel.
During their Southbank visit, Harry and Meghan will tour the exhibition and at each themed area, will see people associated with the displays or Mr Mandela’s work.
The guests include Thembi Tambo, South Africa’s High Commissioner to the UK and daughter of anti-apartheid politician Oliver Tambo, who was a close colleague of Mr Mandela.
One of the items on display is a letter of thanks from the statesman to the British public written on April 16, 1990, the day Mr Mandela attended the Wembley concert held in his honour, he thanks the British public for their “overwhelming generosity”.
Other artefacts on display include a Collected Works of Shakespeare, which was smuggled onto Robben Island and features annotations made by Mr Mandela and his contemporaries.
The exhibition has already been displayed in various locations around the world, including a six week stint at Paris Town Hall in 2013, but this is the first time it has appeared in the UK.
Leading former anti-apartheid campaigner Lord Peter Hain, who is chair of the Nelson Mandela Centenary Exhibition, welcomed the royal support.
He said: “The Mandela Centenary Exhibition at Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, which is free to visitors from 17 July – 19 August, will depict the anti-apartheid freedom struggle and Mandela’s vision of a non-racial rainbow democracy based upon justice, equality and human rights.
“We are delighted the duke and duchess will be supporting it.”
The Duchess’ last public appearance was at Wimbledon last weekend, as she attended the Ladies’ Final match with the Duchess of Cambridge.
The Duchess of Cambridge is a regular attendee at the Championships, being a Patron of the All England Club.
Meghan saw Angelique Kerber play against her friend, Serena Williams, returning to the game ten months after the birth of her first child.
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