Prince Harry will stop over in Cape Townbefore heading to the South Pole

Britain's Prince Harry is to set off for a charity race to the South Pole next week, Kensington Palace said in a statement on Wednesday, after months of preparation which included spending the night in a giant freezer.

The three seven-man teams taking part are to fly to Cape Town on Sunday, the palace said. On Tuesday they will fly on to Novolazarevskaya

Station, Antarctica where they will spend a few days acclimatizing before setting off for the pole on 30 November.

The teams, who hope to reach their destination by 16 December, are raising money for military charities from their home countries, Britain, the United States, Australia and Canada.

Most of those taking part have been injured in battle. Several have had legs amputated, while others have suffered blindness, burns and post traumatic stress disorder.

Hollywood actor Alexander Skarsgard, star of HBO series True Blood, is part of the US team and English actor Dominic West, from The Wire, is racing with the Australian and Canadian team.

The teams will complete the 335km race in stages of around 15 to 20km a day, the palace said, and will face temperatures as low as -45 degrees Celsius.

Prince Harry, 29, who is patron of the Walking With The Wounded charity, took part in a five-day trek to the North Pole in 2011.

News from: 24
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