Prince Harry expresses hope at The Diana Award ceremony
By Kaki Olsen
Prince Harry has often spoken about his mother's legacy, whether in his eye-opening memoir Spare or in public remarks. The BBC reported in 2022 that he feels "her presence in almost everything."
A high honor
Among his scheduled events in New York City this September, the Duke of Sussex attended The Diana Award on Sept. 23. As reported by People he was at the Concordia Summit where the award named for Princess Diana was presented, and he participated in a panel with two past winners of the Legacy Award. "I know that my mom would be incredibly proud of you guys," he commended Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang of Indonesia and Christina Williams of Jamaica. He added a personal note to his remarks, saying that "I applaud you for certainly, [at ] your age, to be on this stage, to have the confidence that you do, and to be able to speak as clearly and as passionately as you do."
“I know that my mum would be incredibly proud of you guys. Not just you, but all of the award winners…Your activism, your compassion, those two things are so true to how my mum led her live, and what she believed in, and the way you do it is incredible. So thank you,” Duke says pic.twitter.com/90OFkSEc75
— Janine Henni (@JP_Henni) September 23, 2024
Harry engaged the past recipients of the award in conversation, but then turned his remarks towards the end to those who will come after them as well:
"I've said it years ago and I'll say it again - the younger generation are, not putting too much pressure on you guys, you are what give me hope. The courage that you have gives me hope, because every single one of us need courage in order to really move the dial and create positive change in today's world, probably more so now than ever...So thank you to you guys for giving me and probably a whole lot of people in this room hope, and now we need to listen - constantly listen - and then act on the advice and vision that you have, because otherwise it's your future that's being stolen from you, and that is unacceptable."
- Prince Harry
The CEO of The Diana Ward, Dr. Tessy Ojo, agreed with these sentiments, saying that "We know young people face many challenges today, but their compassion, determination and agency to make positive change now and in the future is immense."
The award marks its 25th anniversary this year and is "dedicated to empowering young people to create change."
Next. Prince Harry spotted greeting Queen Mathilde at a dinner organized by the World Health Organization. Prince Harry spotted greeting Queen Mathilde at a dinner organized by the World Health Organization. dark