Prince Harry joins a charity event dedicated to Princess Diana following a meeting with King Charles. Uncover the heartfelt moments from the...
Prince Harry joins a charity event dedicated to Princess Diana following a meeting with King Charles. Uncover the heartfelt moments from the day.”
The trip highlights one of the few causes that both Harry and Prince William support, even though they are still fighting. Prince Harry is ending his trip to the U.K. by visiting the only charity named after his late mother, Princess Diana.
The 40-year-old Duke of Sussex went on a trip in London on September 11 as part of The Diana Award. He was with a group of young people who were talking about how their own social action projects have helped their mental health.
He went to Nottingham on Tuesday, September 8, and went on trips in London, where he met his father, King Charles, for the first time in 19 months.
This trip to the U.K. is one of the longest Harry has been in his home country since 2022, when his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, died and was buried. In 2020, he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stopped being royal and moved to California, which is the home state of the Duchess of Sussex.
Harry talked about his mom at the event and said, "My mother believed in the power and agency of young people to make the world a better place." Putting young people at the center of everything the Diana Award does is a way to honor her memory. That's so true today, for example. “Don't stand still or be quiet. Make them hear you because you speak for the majority,” is my word to everyone.
He was speaking after a chat led by Dan Lawes, a kid's rights and political leader from Manchester who is also a trustee for The Diana Award. Lottie Leach, Elsa Arnold, and Idorenyin Hope Akpan, all 23 years old, were on the group. They have all been involved in youth-led social action through the charity.
After the meeting, Harry talked about what he thought about the stories and ideas he had heard. "It takes courage and determination to take part in peaceful social action." Young people are directly affected by problems in society, like bad mental health and the effects of unfair treatment. You feel sorry for others, though, which makes you want to make changes. Purpose and action can help people who feel lost get over it, and that's exactly what you did today."
"The part where you talked about how doing something gave you meaning, confidence, and joy was stronger than any number." It made me remember that for young people, having choice is not a luxury, it's a lifesaver.
The Diana Award is one of the few things that brings Harry and Prince William, 43, together, even though they are still fighting. The brothers often go to events that honor young people around the world who are making a difference in their towns, but they do so individually.
Even though they both agreed to go, Harry went to the event without his brother, and he probably won't see William while he's in the UK because problems between the siblings haven't been fixed yet.
In August, the charity's CEO, Tessy Ojo, told PEOPLE, "They see that next generation who are passing on her legacy and values to future generations." It's likely that they do it with their own families, but the Diana Award keeps the tradition going and teaches those values to young people who would never have met her.
Ojo also said that the princes have the same values as their mother, which were duty, care, empathy, and selflessness. He said that the princes have "empathy to see" so that other people's suffering is seen. The young people spoke to leaders and people who want to make a difference at a London event held by ServiceNow on Thursday. The event marked one year since the start of The Diana Award's "Decade of Youth Well-Being," a program that Prince Harry supports.
The event came after the start of the Decade of Youth Well-Being in New York City in September. Harry took part in a group discussion and talked about the program. It's been called a "bold, ambitious, and collaborative plan to harness the power of young people." Ojo said, "Four out of ten young people feel hopeless about their future, and one in five are living with a mental health condition that can be diagnosed." Things are really bad. This is why The Diana Award started the Decade of Youth Wellbeing a year ago, putting the health and happiness of young people around the world first. Trusting young people to lead and act on their own makes them happier, stronger, and gives people hope again. Simply put, doing things helps minds heal.
His most recent showing comes after his meeting with King Charles, 76, at Clarence House on September 10. It was their first face-to-face meeting since February 2024, when the palace said the king was getting cancer treatment. After stopping at the Center for Blast Injury Studies at Imperial College London, Harry drove to King Charles' London house, Clarence House, and got there around 5:20 p.m.
Before leaving, the Duke of Sussex was inside for about 55 minutes.
After the meeting, Buckingham Palace revealed that the King and Prince Harry had a secret tea at Clarence House, but they wouldn't say anything else. Another person who works for the Duke of Sussex said the same thing, saying that the father and son met for tea and that there would be no more information.
A photographer soon after asked Harry how his dad was doing, and Harry said, "Yes, he's great, thank you."