The Prince of Wales has said that his mother taught him that “everyone has the potential to give something back” as he paid tribute to her at the Diana Legacy Award.
William attended the event at the Science Museum in London on Thursday night, giving a speech to mark the charity’s 25th anniversary.
Taking to the stage to AC/DC’s song Thunderstruck, he told the audience that he and his wife, the Princess of Wales, have sought to focus on Diana’s legacy through their work.
“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,” he 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.”
He said that his mother taught him that “everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life”.
“She taught me that everyone has the potential to give something back; that everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life,” he said.
“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.
“I am so proud to see this belief of my mother’s manifested in the amazing young people receiving the Legacy Award tonight.”
After presenting the awards, William met the winners and told them: “The breadth of what you all cover, I’m amazed.”
He added: “I’m so blown away by everything you’re doing, because you’re doing it alongside your studies, your lives, your families, everything else.
“There are a lot of barriers I’m sure a lot of you are facing every time you’re doing this.”
William also addressed his walk-on song choice.
“I like AC/DC, that’s George’s song,” he said.
After the prince left, Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, 18, who won an award for her charity Cases 4 Care’s work with undocumented children, said that meeting him was “like a dream come true”.
“He was really nice and welcoming,” she said.
She said that winning the award was “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” but it also felt like “the beginning of something new”.
Joel Nkeonye Mordi, 26, who won an award for founding a LGBT+ youth charity in Nigeria, said that it was “such a huge honour”.
He added: “It’s a call to action.”
The Duke of Sussex is also expected to participate in the award ceremony, by speaking to the winners in a video call after his brother has left the building.
It comes as the royal brothers have continued to distance themselves from each other in recent months.
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.
Harry published his memoir Spare last year, in which he accused William of pushing him into a dog bowl in a row over the Duchess of Sussex.
It was also claimed William teased Harry about his panic attacks.
Further 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 Diana Award was set up to promote the princess’s belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better.
Both William and Harry presented the inaugural legacy awards at St James’ Palace in 2017.
