She taught me we can all give
» William vows to continue his mother’s legacy of care » But Harry’s appearance comes after brother leaves
PRINCE William paid tribute to the “courage, compassion and commitment” of his late mother Princess Diana as he celebrated the winners of an award in her name.
The Prince of Wales and his estranged brother Prince Harry last night took part in a ceremony to honour recipients of the Diana Legacy Award.
But they scheduled their appearances hours apart from one another.
While William addressed the 20 winners in a speech at the ceremony at London’s Science Museum, the Duke of Sussex was set to speak on a video call after his brother had left the venue.
Royal sources said it was “a great shame” that the warring princes could not come together on the 25th anniversary of the awards, established two years after Diana’s death in 1997.
Referring to his late mother, William said: “She taught me that everyone has the potential to give something back; that everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life.
“That legacy is something that both Catherine and I have sought to focus on through our work, as have the 50,000 young people who have received a Diana Award over the past 25 years.”
In his speech, the heir said the winners, chosen by a panel of judges chaired by Baroness Doreen Lawrence, reflected
“my mother’s belief that young people can change the world”.
Hailing from countries including the UK, Nigeria, India, Indonesia and Australia, William told how they displayed the “passion and determination to make a lasting and meaningful difference to the lives of others”.
The Legacy Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person can receive for their social action or humanitarian work. It is given out at a ceremony held every two years.
Winners included Alizey Khan, 26, from Pakistan, who set up a food programme distributing 10,000 meals to the needy as well as providing education to 150 children of sex workers.
After losing loved ones to cancer, Olivia Zhang, 18, from the US, founded Cancer Kids First, the world’s largest youth-led organisation that tackles the challenges paediatric patients face.
Joel Nkeonye Mordi, 26, from Nigeria was heralded for establishing his country’s only LGBTQ+ charity helping keep vulnerable students in school, including those experiencing period poverty.
The foundation has so far impacted
She taught me that everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life
PRINCE WILLIAM SPEAKS ABOUT MOTHER’S LEGACY
over 100,000 young people. William and Harry’s appearances came as the brothers continue to distance themselves from each other.
Tensions between them can be traced back to the
early period of Harry’s relationship with wife Meghan, when his then fiancee fell out with the Princess of Wales in the run-up to their wedding.
The pair did not meet when Harry spent time with the King at Clarence House after news of the monarch’s cancer diagnosis last month.
In an interview with a US breakfast TV show, Harry said, “I love my family” and that he was “grateful” to be able to spend around 45 minutes with his father when he flew back to the UK.
Harry published his controversial memoir Spare last year, in which he accused William of pushing him to the ground in a row about Meghan.
Both William and Harry presented the inaugural legacy awards in 2017, but the last time they united in their mother’s memory was to unveil a statue in her image at her former Kensington Palace home in 2021.
Last night, William said of the winners: “Every one of their stories is testament to their character, passion and determination to make a lasting and meaningful difference to the lives of others. The paths taken by these young people have not always been easy.
“Many have overcome adversity and prejudice but are driven by courage, compassion and commitment – qualities shared by my mother. This evening’s Legacy Award is particularly special as it marks the 25th anniversary year of The Diana Award – a charity set up to reflect my mother’s belief that young people can change the world.
“She would have been honoured to see a charity in her name doing such inspirational work to uplift young people from all corners of the globe.”
His speech came amid speculation over the wellbeing of wife Kate, 42, as she recovers from abdominal surgery in January, and a PR storm over an edited image of her and their three children released on Mother’s Day.
Dr Tessy Ojo, chief executive of The Diana Award, said: “It’s a privilege to have the support of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex.”