On what would have been Princess Diana’s 59th birthday, Prince Harry has shared a special video message honouring young change-makers who have carried out honourable work in his mother’s name.
During a virtual ceremony for the annual Diana Awards, the Duke of Sussex dropped in to surprise young recipients via video link.
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“I am so incredibly proud to be part of these awards, as they honour the legacy of my mother and bring out the very best in people like you,” he said.
“You are all doing such incredible work and at a time of great uncertainty, you have found the power and inspiration inside of you to make a positive mark on the world. And I love that The Diana Award is able to help you do it.”
Speaking about his mother, who would have turned 59 on Jul. 1, he added: “Like many of you she didn’t take the easy route or the popular one or the comfortable one. But she stood for something and she stood up for people who needed it.”
“Right now, we’re seeing situations around the world where division, isolation and anger are dominating as pain and trauma come to the surface. But I see the greatest hope in people like you, and I’m confident about the world’s future and its ability to heal because it is in your hands.”
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The duke also addressed the Black Lives Matter movement, and spoke about his hopes for change.
He continued: “My wife [Meghan Markle] said recently that our generation and the ones before us haven’t done enough to right the wrongs of the past. I too am sorry — sorry that we haven’t got the world to a place you deserve it to be.”
“Institutional racism has no place in our societies, yet it is still endemic. Unconscious bias must be acknowledged without blame to create a better world for all of you.”
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The father of Prince Archie stated that he is “committed to being part of the solution and to being part of the change that you are all leading. Now is the time and we know that you can do it.”
More than 180 young people from 35 countries were honoured by the charity, which was established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales.
