Prince Harry's HIV charity has released a heartwarming set of images from the royal's visit to Lesotho last month.

The Duke of Sussex, who has this week been talking at an AIDS conference in Amsterdam, travelled to the southern African kingdom last month to open a community hall on behalf of Sentebale, the organisation he co-founded.

He met children at the Phelisanong Children's Centre in Pitseng, Leribe during what Kensington Palace described as a 'private visit' without his new wife Meghan.

The snaps show the newly-married royal playing balloons with local children, while one cheeky youngster tries on his sunglasses.

Harry plays with children holding balloons during the official opening of The Dining Hall at Phelisanong Childrens Home last month, just four weeks after his wedding in Windsor

Harry dances with a little girl during the opening of The Dining Hall at Phelisanong Childrens Home. His visit was described as a 'private' trip by Kensington Palace

Harry plays a game of chase with local children during Winter Camp at Sentebale's Mamohato Children's Centre last month

In other images, Harry is seen playing a game of tag, cuddling and dancing with the youngsters.

The Duke was also joined by friend and Sentebale ambassador Adam Bidwell on the visit to the country, with which he has a strong personal connection.

In 2004, Harry spent two months in the land-locked Lesotho during his gap year, and the experience made a lasting impression on the then 19-year-old.

He has since returned many times and founded his charity Sentebale in 2006 in honour of his mother Diana to help disadvantaged children in the land-locked kingdom.

Earlier this week, Harry joined pop star Elton John to launch a campaign to raise HIV awareness among men, warning that 'dangerous complacency' about the virus threatened the quest to wipe it out.

The billion-dollar project 'MenStar' will target men living with or at risk of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, which has been ravaged by AIDS since the 1980s.

Prince of hearts! Harry met the children at the Phelisanong Children's Centre in Leribe during what Kensington Palace described as a 'private visit' without his new wife Meghan

Close to his heart: The Duke of Sussex, who has this week been talking at the AIDS conference in Amsterdam, travelled to the southern African kingdom last month

Second home: In 2004, Harry spent two months in the land-locked Lesotho during his gap year, and the experience made a lasting impression on the then 19-year-old

'The MenStar coalition is bravely tackling the root cause of this problem - the lack of awareness of HIV prevention amongst hard-to-reach young men,' Harry said at the 22nd International AIDS Conference in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

Speaking at the launch, which also featured South African actress Charlize Theron and Ndaba Mandela, the grandson of late President Nelson Mandela, Elton John said: 'If we want to end AIDS once and for all, we must make men part of the solution.'

Around 36.7 million people around the world have HIV, according to 2016 figures cited by the United Nations' HIV/AIDS body UNAIDS.

Fewer than half of men living with HIV receive treatment compared with 60 percent of women, it said.

Prince Harry said the campaign launch came at 'a time when new energetic and innovative solutions are needed more than ever before'.