"Princes William and Harry should go ahead with Long Way Down trip"

Princes William and Harry should go ahead with their plans for a Long Way Down-style ride through Africa despite security concerns, according to Charley Boorman.

The princes had planned the 1000-mile trip in aid of Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale, which supports orphans in Lesotho.

They were inspired by Boorman and film star pal Ewan McGregor’s 15,000-mile ride through 18 African countries for the BBC’s Long Way Down TV series.

But they were told to ditch the plans over fears for their safety. “Harry has been told that their protection officers would be unable to guarantee their safety,” a royal source told The Telegraph.

“They said they simply cannot allow them to put themselves at such a risk of kidnap or ambush.”

Boorman told MCN: “I think they should do it. If they wanted to go and do it anyone can do it. It’s not rocket science to do a trip around Africa. I think it would be fantastic and they’d love it.

“It’s a shame for them, because they’re big into their bikes. Maybe they’ll do it another time.”