Prince of Wales marks 25th anniversary of Diana Legacy Awards - with Harry joining via video link after William left
14 March 2024, 23:31
Prince William has paid tribute to his mother who taught him that as he attended the Diana Legacy Award - while Prince Harry was set to appear via video link after his brother left the event.
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The Prince of Wales told the audience at the Science Museum in London on Thursday night that his mother taught him "everyone has the potential to give something back", as he gave a speech to mark the charity's 25th anniversary.
He told the audience that he and his wife, the Princess of Wales, have sought to focus on Diana's legacy through their work.
"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," he said.
"I know that 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."
The Duke of Sussex was also expected to participate in the award ceremony, by speaking to the winners in a video call after his brother has left the building.
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Addressing the audience, the Prince of Wales said of his mother: "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.
"I am so proud to see this belief of my mother's manifested in the amazing young people receiving the Legacy Award tonight.
The award ceremony came as Princes William and Harry continued to distance themselves from each other in recent months.
The pair did not meet when Harry spent time with the King at Clarence House following news of his cancer diagnosis last month.
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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 Charles when he flew back to the UK.
Harry published his memoir Spare last year, in which he accused William of pushing him into a dog bowl in a row over the Duchess of Sussex.
It was also claimed William teased Harry about his panic attacks.
Further tensions between the royal brothers can be traced back to the early period of Harry's relationship with wife Meghan, when his then fiancee had a falling out with the Princess of Wales in the run-up to their wedding.
The Diana Award was set up to promote the princess's belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better.
Both William and Harry presented the inaugural legacy awards at St James' Palace in 2017.
Dr Tessy Ojo, chief executive of the Diana Award, told The Times: "It's a privilege to have the support of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex - particularly as we mark our 25th anniversary year
It comes after Kate faced a storm of speculation earlier this week after editing a photo released by Kensington Palace to mark Mother's Day.
She admitted that she edited the family photo and issued an apology.
The picture sparked an explosion of conspiracy theories, with people trying to establish to what extent the picture had been edited.
Six of the world's leading picture agencies including the Press Association pulled the photo from their wires and libraries amid concern that the "source has manipulated the image".
