Prince Harry to visit Brazilian favela, watch samba

RIO DE JANEIRO – Britain’s Prince Harry was due in Brazil Friday for his first visit to the South American giant to launch the GREAT campaign promoting his country ahead of the 2012 Olympics.

Prince Harry. AP FILE PHOTO

Making his first solo tour, the third in line to the British throne will launch the campaign from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain following festivities with samba dance and capoeira martial art presentations, a British embassy spokeswoman told reporters.

Harry is also visiting Belize, the Bahamas and Jamaica on a seven-day trip to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Details of his agenda were not immediately available due to security concerns, but Harry was also expected to participate in athletic events at Flamengo Park early Saturday, including a marathon, rugby and beach volleyball.

He will be accompanied by Jeremy Hunt, the secretary of for culture, Olympics, media and sport.

“Harry is a rugby enthusiast and rugby will be part of the Olympic Games in 2016 for the first time” set to take place in Rio, the British official said.

In the afternoon, he was due to visit a poor neighborhood (favela) the name of which has not been released, to meet with locals, before heading to the country’s economic capital Sao Paulo.

Harry, 27, will end his visit Sunday with a polo match in Campinas. Proceeds will go to his charity in Lesotho created in honor of his mother Diana.

The prince’s tour is one of several being made by British royals in 2012 as part of celebrations marking sixty years of Elizabeth II’s reign.

Harry’s brother Prince William and his wife Catherine will travel to the Asia-Pacific region, while heir to the throne Prince Charles and his wife Camilla will visit countries including Australia and Canada.

Harry, who qualified as an army Apache attack helicopter pilot last month, is keen to return to combat in Afghanistan after he was hastily withdrawn from his first tour of duty in 2008 when a media blackout was broken.