Royal wedding news: African orphan Prince Harry befriended 14 years ago among first to greet newlyweds

An orphan who Prince Harry befriended when volunteering in Africa was among the first guests to greet the royal couple after their extraordinary wedding at Windsor Castle.

The new Duke of Sussex first struck up a friendship with Mutsu Potsane, aged 4 at the time, during his gap year stay in the southern African nation in 2004.

The pair stayed in touch over the years, reunited on multiple occasions.

Now Mutsu, whose proper first name is Relebohile, was one of ten representatives from Harry's charity Sentebale at yesterday's fairytale wedding, according to the Daily Express.

Harry co-founded the charity in 2006 with Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso in memory of their respective mothers work in the African kingdom, which has the world’s second-highest rate of HIV.

Some 200 representatives from different charities were among the 2,460 members of the public with an invitation to celebrate the wedding inside the grounds of Windsor Castle on Saturday.

Sentebale chairman Johnny Hornby said 18-year-old Mutsu was among the first group to greet the newlyweds after they left St George's Chapel following their nuptials.

He told the newspaper: “He’s a bit shy now, but he’s doing really well. He’s just finishing school.”

The charity shared a photo of some of its members at the celebrations, writing: "Congratulations to the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex, from everyone at Sentebale.

"We were delighted that some of our Lesotho team were able to join in the very special celebrations in Windsor today!"

Harry and Mutsu were introduced at the Mants’ase Children’s Home for orphans near Mohale’s Hoek, outside Lesotho’s capital Maseru, where the prince visited to help children affected by HIV and Aids.

They quickly formed a strong bond, with Harry returning to the orphanage in 2006.

In 2015, they were reunited when Harry returned for the official opening of the Sentebale’s new children’s centre as part of an ITV documentary.

The 33-year-old scooped the then 15-year-old off the ground for a giant hug after the pair first noticed each other and they chatted about their time apart.

Harry and Meghan Markle yesterday tied the knot during an extraordinary wedding ceremony that captivated the nation and marked a new era for the royals.

After a day that saw the couple seal their union with a tender kiss, process through Windsor in a horse-drawn carriage and experience a moving wedding reception speech in their honour from the Prince of Wales, they are expected to travel home to take up royal duties.