London
CNN
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Prince William paid tribute to his mother Diana, the late Princess of Wales, at an event in London on Thursday, saying she taught him that everyone “has the ability to give back.”
The event, held to mark the 25th anniversary of Diana's award, saw Prince Harry, William's brother, speak to the winners via video call, making it one of the few occasions the two princes have taken part since the Duke of Sussex left his royal duties.
In his speech, William told the audience that he and his wife, Catherine, Princess of Wales, had sought to highlight Diana's legacy through their own work.
“I know she would have been honored to see a charity bearing her name doing such inspiring work to uplift young people from all over the world,” the Prince of Wales said, according to Kensington Palace.
“She taught me that every person has the ability to give back, and that every person in need deserves a helping hand in life,” he said, adding: “I am so proud to see this faith of my mother manifested in the amazing young people who are receiving help.” Legacy Award tonight.”
During the ceremony, the British Crown Prince also met with the award's staff and supporters, and also presented the Legacy Award to this year's winners.
Harry spoke separately to the 20 Legacy Award winners via a live broadcast after the ceremony at the Science Museum in London.
“Thank you so much for inspiring so many others and at the same time protecting my mother's legacy, I really appreciate it,” the Duke said during the 30-minute video call.
In addition to this honour, award winners are supported through personal and professional development to amplify their social work and allow them to continue to inspire other young people to do the same.
William's appearance comes amid feverish speculation about his wife's status and well-being, which intensified after Kensington Palace released a family photo showing her which was later revealed to have been digitally altered.
Kate has not appeared in public for months after undergoing abdominal surgery in a London hospital, which the palace said was planned, but it required clearing her diary of upcoming events due to the long recovery period.
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The palace may have hoped that Sunday's photo, released on Mother's Day, would allay widespread confusion and concern about the princess. Instead, it sparked a storm of controversy after international photography agencies withdrew it, expressing concern that it had been digitally manipulated.
Kate took responsibility and apologized for what she said was an “experiment” in editing photos. But her brief statement did not explain why or how she edited the photo, and no new photos of the princess have been published since then.
The Diana Legacy Awards, held every two years, honor young leaders in the name of Diana, William and Harry's late mother.
It was established two years after Diana's death in a 1997 car accident in Paris. William said in his speech on Thursday evening that 50,000 people have received the Diana Award over the past 25 years.
The brothers made separate contributions at Thursday night's ceremony. The Duke of Sussex made a virtual appearance; After separating from the working royal family in 2020, he lives in the United States alongside his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
Since then, the relationship between the brothers has become increasingly frosty. Harry wrote in his memoir Spear that William attacked him during an argument, and described his older brother as “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive”.
They appeared together at royal events marking the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the coronation of King Charles III, and occasionally at events related to Diana's legacy, but they rarely met in public.
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