During a late-night phone call from his Montecito home, the Duke of Sussex cracked jokes with Diana Legacy Award winners, just hours after his brother, the Prince of Wales, attended the event in person at the Science Museum in London.
Following the 20 young award winners’ introduction, Sophie Pender, the founder of the 93% Club, which aims to increase university inclusivity for state-educated students, told Prince Harry, 39, that “we really miss you here [in London]”.
Photo: © Casey Gutteridge
Harry apologized for not being there and said, “I wish I could be there with you guys.”
The father of two, dressed in a dark blazer over an open-collared blue shirt, questioned the recipients about their motivations for doing what they do.
He also made lighthearted remarks to the winners, telling them not to get into “too much trouble if you’re continuing to go on [and celebrate]”.
“You’ve inspired so many others and at the same time protected my mother’s legacy, I really appreciate that,” the Duke said in his thank you to the children.
“And Tessy [Ojo, CEO of the Diana Award], once again, well done on this fantastic group of individuals,” he continued.
Hours after his brother, Prince William, took the stage to AC/DC’s Thunderstruck, which he later revealed is his son Prince George’s favorite song, Harry had a 30-minute conversation with the recipients.
Photo: © Getty Images
William made the following statement during his speech: “The Diana Award, a charity founded to honor my mother’s conviction that young people can change the world, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this evening, making this evening’s Legacy Award especially meaningful.
“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.”
“Everyone has the capacity to give something back, and everyone in need deserves a helping hand in life,” he continued.
“That legacy is something that the 50,000 young people who have received Diana Awards over the past 25 years, as well as Catherine and I, have tried to emphasize through our work.
“I am so proud to see this belief of my mother’s manifested in the amazing young people receiving the Legacy Award tonight.”
Photo: © Getty Images
The Diana Award was established to further the Princess’s conviction that youth possess the ability to transform the world for the better.
Just before William addressed the audience at the Diana Award presentation, the Duchess of Sussex made a comeback to Instagram to introduce a fresh business endeavor.
The teaser on social media showed Meghan cooking and arranging white hydrangeas and roses in a vintage-style video that was uploaded to the American Riviera Orchard Instagram account on Thursday.
