14 March 2024 , 19:19
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Prince William has 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 both took part in a ceremony to honour recipients of the Diana Legacy Award this evening, but scheduled their appearances hours apart from one another.
While William addressed the 20 winners in a speech at the glittering ceremony held at The Science Museum in London, 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 Diana Awards, established two years after Diana’s death in a 1997 car crash in Paris.
In his speech, the heir said the winners, chosen by a special panel of judges chairwd by Baroness Doreen Lawrence, reflected “my mother’s belief that young people can change the world”.
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Diana and her two boys playing the piano at Kensington Palace (Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)Hailing from the four corners of the world including the UK, Nigeria and 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”.
Taking place every two years, The Legacy Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person can receive for their social action or humanitarian work.
Winners included Alizey Khan, 26, from Pakistan who set up a food programme distributing 10,000 meals to the needy as well and 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 works towards lessening the challenges paediatric cancer patients face.
Prince of Wales meets Baroness Doreen Lawrence during tonight's awards ceremony (Getty Images)Joel Nkeonye Mordi , 26, from Nigeria was also heralded for establishing his country’s only LGBTQ+ charity helping keep vulnerable students in school, including young people experiencing period poverty. The foundation has so far impacted over 100,000 young people.
William and Harry’s appearances came as the royal brothers continue to distance themselves from each other in recent months. 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 pair did not meet when Harry spent time with the King at Clarence House following news of his 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 Charles when he flew back to the UK.
The prince's relationship has suffered over recent months and years (Getty Images)Harry published his controversial memoir Spare last year, in which he accused William of pushing him into a dog bowl in a row over the Duchess of Sussex.
Both William and Harry presented the inaugural legacy awards at St James' Palace 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, on what would have been her 60th birthday.
Diana and her two sons attending a Remembrance Service in Hyde Pakr in 1995 (Getty Images)At the awards tonight, William said: “Each and every one of their stories – which you will hear shortly - are testament to their character, passion and determination to make a lasting and meaningful difference to the lives of others.
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“The paths taken by these young people have not always been easy. Many have overcome adversity and prejudice, but they are driven by courage, compassion and commitment – qualities shared by my mother.
The brothers have been feuding in recent years (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)“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. 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.”
William’s appearance came amid frenzied speculation over the wellbeing of his wife Kate following a two week hospital stay in January for abdominal surgery. The Princess of Wales has only been seen in public once since Christmas Day and is not expected to return to royal duties until after Easter.
As she continues to recover at home she was this week caught up in a PR storm over her decision to heavily edit a picture taken by the Prince of Wales of his wife and their three children released on Mother’s Day.
The future queen, 42, issued an apology on social media after five of the world’s biggest picture agencies accused her of “manipulating” the image, while individually announcing it would be deleted from their libraries.
Referring to his late mother once more, 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.”
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."
Alex Kalomparis, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Gilead Sciences which supported the awards, said: “These young people represent the next generation of change-makers and innovators across the globe and it is their stories from which we should listen and learn.”