South African newspaper mocks Prince Harry as 'Duke of L.A.' for his woke speech honoring Nelson Mandela

A South African newspaper mocked the selection of Prince Harry to give the keynote speech at a United Nations event memorializing anti-apartheid champion Nelson Mandela on Monday, saying the British royal “embodies, almost perfectly, everything Mandela stood for.”

According to the Daily Mail, Aspasia Karras, editor-at-large of South African newspaper The Sunday Times, teased Prince Harry in a column on Sunday that light-heartedly compared the hardships the odd couple shared while alluding to the colonial legacy of South Africa under British rule.

“He's in exile. Just like [Mandela],” she wrote, referring to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s disagreements with the more traditional royal family.

“No, sorry, of course, [Mandela] was imprisoned for 27 years on Robben Island. Same, same-ish,” she continued.

“Harry is imprisoned in his gilded pleasure palace in Montecito with a podcast schedule and documentary team following him around.”

Harry was invited to speak by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the charity run by the late South African president’s family. He spoke for about fifteen minutes about his mother, Princess Diana’s, relationship with Mandela along with topics of the day like climate change, the war in Ukraine and the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

“We are witnessing a global assault on democracy and freedom - the cause of Mandela's life," he said during his address.

His wife, Meghan Markle, accompanied him in a designer dress worth around $3,000 and a pinky ring promoting women empowerment.

“I think Harry is a perfect fit, what with the UN being such a very effective organization for world peace,” Karras joked.

“I'm really pleased he can grab hold of the global spotlight on such an important day, when we remember the sacrifices Mandela made for all of us and our rights. OK?”

In his speech, Harry fondly recalled a photo Prince Diana had taken with Mandela during a visit in 1997, which he keeps on his wall.

"For most of my life, it has been my lifeline, a place where I found peace and healing time and time again," Harry said of Africa.

"It's where I felt closest to my mother and sought solace after she died, and where I knew I had found a soulmate in my wife. And it’s why so much of my work is based there."