Royal baby Archie makes rare public appearance in South Africa

Baby Archie made a rare public appearance on Wednesday as his parents, Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, continued their first official tour as a family in South Africa.

Meghan held Archie as the royal couple met with Nobel Peace Prize winner and Archbishop Desmond Tutu in Cape Town.

Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their son Archie meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mrs. Tutu at the Old Granary Building in Cape Town on September 25, 2019. [Photo: DPA via IC/Albert Nieboer]

The youngest member of Britain's royal family had been out of the spotlight since his christening in July. Archie, born in May, is the first child of Prince Harry and the former Meghan Markle and seventh in line to the British throne.

Tutu greeted the baby with a delighted smile.

"It's very heartwarming, let me tell you, very heartwarming to realize that you really, genuinely are caring people," he told the royal couple, according to a statement by his Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation.

"We all try to make things better," Harry replied.

The royal couple posted on social media a photo of the 87-year-old archbishop giving Archie a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Thank you Archbishop Tutu for your incredibly warm hospitality, Archie loved meeting you!" they wrote.

Gifts for the baby included children's books written and signed by the archbishop.

Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their son Archie meet with Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Old Granary Building in Cape Town on September 25, 2019. [Photo: DPA via IC/Albert Nieboer]

Tutu, who has been treated for prostate cancer for years, rarely makes public appearances. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his efforts to end the system of white minority rule, or apartheid, and promote racial reconciliation in South Africa, and he has lent his moral stature to causes and campaigns around the world over the years.

Tutu and his wife, Leah, last week called a meeting with the royal couple a "rare privilege and honor."

The 10-day, multi-country tour also includes stops for Harry in Botswana, Angola and Malawi with a focus on wildlife protection, mental health and mine clearance — a topic given global attention by Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, when she walked through an active mine field during an Africa visit years ago.