Prince Harry shows off his freshly trimmed hair in new video for a charity walk

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Prince Harry showed off a freshly trimmed hairstyle today as he shared a virtual message of support with those taking part in a charity walk.

The Duke of Sussex, 36, who is currently living in his $14 million Santa Barbara mansion, sent his best wishes to participants of the Trailwalker Relay 2020, which is a charity event in aide of The Gurka Welfare Trust and Oxfam.

After the official 2020 event was cancelled amid the Covid-19 crisis, the charities organised a ‘virtual’ version, asking teams to complete the 100km throughout the week, with fundraising going toward vulnerable communities struggling to cope with the virus. 

In a clip shared online, Prince Harry donned a dark green shirt and showed off a short haircut as he spoke about the significance of the charity event, calling Covid-19 ‘devastating and destructive’. 

In the video clip, which was shared on the Trailwalker Instagram page, Prince Harry spoke of his ‘special connection to Gurkhas and Nepal’, explaining: ‘Almost five years ago, I travelled to Nepal to meet families and see first hand how the country was rebuilding after the devastating 2015 earthquake.

‘Buildings, temples, homes and entire villages had been completely demolished. 

‘It was clear despite everything the Nepalese faced, their spirit and resilience never weakened there was a clear sense of care and compassion for each other.’

He continued: ‘With Covid-19, the world is being pitted against a new challenge. One that is devastating and destructive in its own right and I am heartened to see that once again , the Nepalese spirit is unwavering. 

‘In Afghanistan, I was honoured to serve alongside The Royal Gurkha Rifles. These soldiers showed me what they believe in; they showed me what their values are.’ 

He went on: ‘The Ghurka Welfare Trust and Oxfam are rallying together in incredibly difficult circumstances to help communities beat this virus and save lives.’   

The Duke went on to thank those taking part in the virtual relay, adding: ‘Doing this relay virtually is going to make it even more difficult than it already was, so you’re going to need to dig deep, physically and emotionally, to get you and your team across those 100km.

‘I know you can do it,  and with every step you take, just remember, you’re helping those that need it most. So , thank you, and good luck.’ 

The Gurkha Welfare Trust has been supporting Gurkha veterans, their families and communities in Nepal during the outbreak by checking on the vulnerable, distributing medication and clean water, and giving out financial aid.

Oxfam has been providing hand-washing facilities, clean water, toilets and soap in the most vulnerable communities, reaching over four million people across 62 countries.

The Trailwalker Relay begins on Monday and runs until September 27.

The new video comes days after it emerged Prince Harry has joined a helicopter club in California in order to take Meghan Markle and his son Archie out on family trips.

The Duke needs to practice flying in order to to keep his helicopter licence current, a royal insider told the Sun.

In 2013, the royal qualified as an Apache helicopter commander while serving in the Regiment Army Air Corps but left the military less than a year later to pursue charity work.

‘He’s very proud of that licence; he worked hard to get first the basic and then the Apache.

‘He’s hardly likely to be recalled for military service in England again but he wants to keep the hours up for personal use, so he and Meghan can just take off for expeditions if they want to,’ the friend of Harry told the paper.  

While it is believed Harry doesn’t own his own helicopter yet, the source added that there will be ‘plenty of rich benefactors’ who would be happy to lend Harry their choppers because they would ‘love the royal association’. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior royals in March and moved to Vancouver Island, Canada.

They spent some time in 39-year-old Meghan’s native Los Angeles before moving to Santa Barbara, California, where they are currently living in an £11million mansion with son Archie, one. 

Last month, the couple signed a £112million Netflix deal that ‘could include a documentary on Princess Diana’. 

An insider told The Mirror the documentary will focus on Diana’s family history and heritage, but voiced fears over it widening the rift with brother William.

Rumours of Harry and Meghan seeking to gain a foothold in Hollywood have run rampant ever since the couple announced their plans to quit as senior royals, seek financial independence and move to North America in January.

Meghan’s first post-Megxit job in showbiz was as a narrator of the Disney Plus docuseries Elephants, which came out in April.

The Los Angeles native nabbed the job after Harry bragged about her voiceover skills to Disney chairman Bob Iger at the London premiere of The Lion King live action remake last summer.

Her fee for the project went entirely to the Elephants Without Borders charity – an organisation dedicated to conserving wildlife and helps protect the animals from poaching.

Harry followed in her footsteps by appearing in a new Netflix documentary about about the Paralympic Games called Rising Phoenix, which aired on August 26.

In 2014, Harry confessed he missed his role as an Apache helicopter pilot and would like to return to flying in the future. 

The Prince loved his five-month posting to Afghanistan in winter 2012-13 where he served as a top gun co-pilot, often providing top cover for medical evacuations. But he did not enjoy the social side of life on base at Wattisham, Suffolk.

As an Apache pilot, it was his regular job to provide cover from above as the teams retrieved casualties from the battlefield, often under enemy fire.