Prince Harry shares video message for teenagers during lockdown from LA home: ‘This too shall pass’
Charity says Duke of Sussex is ‘really in tune with young people’
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Your support makes all the difference.The Duke of Sussex has shared a message of hope for young people during the coronavirus pandemic.
Prince Harry, who is now living in Los Angeles with Meghan Markle and their one-year-old son Archie, delivered the video message to members of OnSide Youth Zones – a charity that runs a network of youth centres across the UK which provide safe, non-threatening locations for young people to socialise and interact with adult role models.
During the lockdown, which began on 23 March, OnSide Youth Zones has adapted its role to provide support to more than 50,000 young people remotely through phone calls, social media and digital content.
Introducing an online repeat of OnSide’s award ceremony, which took place in November 2019, Prince Harry praised members of the charity for not only “surviving but also for thriving” during the pandemic.
“These daily challenges that you guys are coming up against are unbelievable and so many people will never understand,” the royal said.
“But you guys have the strength to pull through and you have the support of the OnSide community, the OnSide family to help you through that process.”
He continued: “I can only imagine the last six weeks has made it even more challenging.
“This too shall pass. And before you know it, you will be back together again, probably in a youth zone, running around having the best time ever.”
Prince Harry attended last year’s event at the Royal Albert Hall where he delivered a speech and handed out awards.
It was his final public engagement before he and Meghan enjoyed a six-week break from the spotlight with their son on Vancouver Island in Canada.
Speaking to People, a spokesperson for OnSide said it was a “big deal” to have Prince Harry as a supporter.
“He’s really in tune with young people, so he totally gets the issues that they face,” the spokesperson said.
“Shortly after he moved away, he reassured us that he still wants to keep supporting us and doing whatever he can for us. In the current situation, I can’t imagine he’ll be back visiting a Youth Zone any time soon but he’s said he’s keen to stay in touch with us and will continue to help out wherever he can.”
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