Princes Harry and William send separate messages to Diana Awards winners as charity marks 25th anniversary
THE Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex are once again offering their congratulations separately to winners of the Diana Award, set up in memory of their mother.
William has written a letter, which was posted on Wednesday, praising the “extraordinary” recipients for their “kindness and compassion”.
William told them: “My mother… would be immensely proud of you.”
The Prince, in his letter on Kensington Palace headed notepaper, describes how the “world can feel an uncertain and unfamiliar place”.
Wills also praised the winners for overcoming barriers to “make positive change”.
Harry, meanwhile, has recorded a video message which will be played during the virtual Diana Award ceremony on Thursday.
The Duke will speak of how Diana’s view of the world still inspires him as he outlines the challenges the world faces including “systemic injustices”.
He, like William, will reference the charity‘s mission of inspiring young people to make “positive change”.
Harry will say: “My mother’s belief in the power of young people to drive positive change continues to inspire me.
“No matter the challenges we face, whether it’s climate change, mental health or systemic injustices, her legacy and the efforts of young people to inspire further action in the world fill me with hope.”
The royal brothers have a long-running rift which worsened in the wake of the allegations Harry levelled at William and the Princess of Wales in his Netflix documentary and Spare autobiography.
Their fractured relationship shows no sign of healing despite the health troubles faced by the royal family in 2024.
The Diana Award said the charity, which is marking 25 years since it was set up in honour of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, “has the support of both her sons, HRH The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex“.
In March, William and Harry made separate addresses at the Diana Legacy Award, with William appearing in person at the ceremony in London and Harry speaking to the winners present afterwards via a livestream after his brother had left.
Two hundred young people, spanning 45 countries, are receiving a Diana Award on Thursday for social action or humanitarian efforts this year after a record number of nominations.
William’s letter reads: “Congratulations on receiving The Diana Award!
“I am so proud of the impact every one of you has had on your communities and beyond.
“You are driven by kindness and compassion and through this you are all changing the world for the better.
“In this special 25th anniversary year for the Diana Award, it is wonderful to see young people from across the globe being recognised.”
He added: “At times, the world can feel an uncertain and unfamiliar place and I know many of you have had to work hard to overcome barriers to make positive change.
“Despite this, I am heartened to see what inspirational young people like you can achieve. I know my mother, in whose memory you receive the Diana Award today, would be immensely proud of you.
“I hope this award helps you to further champion your cause and support those around you. Thank-you for your dedication. You are all extraordinary.”
The letter was signed “William”.
Harry’s video will see the duke appear alongside and in conversation with Legacy Award recipients Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, 18, from Indonesia, and Christina Williams, 27, from Jamaica.
The duke will praise the “incredible achievements of young people who exemplify the spirit of the Diana Award”.
He will also say: “Sometimes the world’s problems can seem too big for any one person to tackle, but your efforts are a powerful reminder that we all have the potential to contribute to a fairer world.
“No-one is ever a conduit for change alone and the award recipients we’re honouring today are testament to that.”
His message was recorded in September when the duke met Chiara and Christina at a Diana Award event in New York.
Tessy Ojo, chief executive of the charity, said: “We warmly congratulate our new Diana Award recipients from the UK and across the world who are inspiring change for their generation.
“This event is special as it marks our 25th anniversary year and our most competitive year yet with record nominations.
“This new cohort of Diana Award recipients demonstrate that young people have the power to change the world; a belief also held by Diana, Princess of Wales.”
The Diana Award ceremony can be watched at 3pm on Thursday on YouTube.