Prince William honoured his mother, Princess Diana, in a speech given at the Diana Legacy Awards.
The Prince of Wales attended the event, which was held at London’s Science Museum, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Diana Legacy Award.
“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,” William said.
“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.
“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.”
Prince Harry was also slated to attend the event to honour his mother which led some royal watchers to anticipate a reunion between the two brothers. However, it was later revealed that Prince William and Prince Harry would attend the event separately in consecutive appearances rather than together.
The Diana Legacy Awards take place every two years after first being founded in 1999. Each ceremony recognises 20 young leaders, visionaries and role models from across the world, who inspire and mobilise new generations to service their communities, as the late Diana, Princess of Wales did herself through her royal life and personal life.
This year, Australian Maddison O’Gradey was among the 20 recipients of the award. At just 26 years old, Maddison has co-founded Orygen Global Youth Mental Health Advocacy Fellowship, an online education and mentoring programme for youth advocates across the world.
The awards come just hours after Prince William made an appearance at the WEST youth centre in London. WEST, which stands for Where Everyone Sticks Together, “will support young people from across west London to develop the skills and confidence they need to achieve their dreams,” according to an official statement from Kensington Palace.
During the visit William tried his hand at a game of pool and biscuit decorating. Whilst the Prince was finessing his cooking prowess, he made a rare comment about his wife, Princess Catherine who is currently recovering from an abdominal surgery.
As William attempted to ice a biscuit, he was videoed admitting that Catherine is the creative one in the pair.
“My wife is the arty one,” the Prince can be heard saying. “Even my children are artier than me.”
