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British RoyalsThe Sussexes

Duke and Duchess of Sussex to attend Cirque du Soleil performance

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend the Royal Albert Hall premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s new show TOTEM next Wednesday in aid of Sentebale.

TOTEM is described on the Cirque du Soleil website as a “Journey into the evolution of mankind,” and follows our species from “original amphibian state to ultimate desire to fly.”

The characters will evolve on stage and the show will explore the ties that “bind Man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential.”

“At Sentebale, a large part of our educational work with children and adolescents has focused around engaging them through play, entertainment and music,” says Johnny Hornby, the Chairman of Sentebale.

“We’re very grateful to everyone at Cirque du Soleil for giving us the opportunity to shine a light on the work that Sentebale does to help children and young adults affected by HIV to live happy, healthy and productive lives.”

The money raised at TOTEM’s premiere will go directly back to Sentebale, to help the charity in its goal to help young people affected by HIV in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi.

“Since our very beginnings, we have always been determined to engage responsibly in the communities that we visit throughout the world,” says Daniel Lamarre, Cirque du Soleil’s CEO.

“We strive to make a difference in the lives of youths and encourage them to change the world. It is because both our organisations share these very values that we will proudly dedicate our TOTEM premiere to the ‘Sentebale Nights’, a perfect way to allow us to raise significant funds and awareness together.”

Sentebale Nights is a newer initiative to help the charity, founded in 2006 by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. In August, Harry and Meghan attended a special presentation of Hamilton to raise money for Sentebale.

About author

Jess Ilse is the Assistant Editor at Royal Central. She specialises in the British, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Royal Families and has been following royalty since Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Jess has provided commentary for media outlets in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Jess works in communications and her debut novel THE MAJESTIC SISTERS will publish in Fall 2024.