Prince Harry has delivered a somber speech to the United Nations as he paid tribute to anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela. 

Speaking in the UN General Assembly Hall in New York, the Duke of Sussex declared “our world is on fire” to a room full of diplomats.

“From the horrific war in Ukraine to the rolling back of constitutional rights here in the United States, we are witnessing a global assault on democracy and freedom,” he said.

“Our world is on fire again and these ‘historic’ weather events are no longer historic. More and more, they are part of our daily lives, and this crisis will only grow worse.”

He urged world leaders to draw on Mandela’s legacy in a time of uncertainty and division.

“How many of us feel battered, helpless, in the face of a seemingly endless stream of disasters and devastation?” he asked.

“This has been a painful year in a painful decade.”

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