Prince Harry pays tribute to ‘mum’ and her legacy during Diana Award speech

Harry said the award recipients were the ‘personification of our mother’s legacy’

Prince Harry has praised young award winners for continuing his mother’s legacy of “living by truth and service to others”.

The Duke of Sussex paid tribute to Princess Diana during a video message for the recipients of the Diana Award on Monday night.

In his speech, Harry said his mother believed that young people have “the power to change the world” with “boundless enthusiasm and passion” and said he sees those same values shine through this year’s award recipients.

The Diana Award was set up in 1999, two years after the sudden death of the Princess of Wales following a car crash in Paris on 31 August 1997.

Its purpose was to continue Diana’s legacy and passion for young people, by formally recognising those who go above and beyond to help their communities.

He told this year’s awards recipients: “You are putting the ‘dos’ behind the ‘says’ and this is the personification of our mother’s legacy.”

Harry also spoke about how he, and his brother Prince William, will honour their mother this week on what would have been her 60th birthday.

On 1 July, the pair will unveil a statue of their mother that they commissioned, which has been placed in one of Diana’s favourite places at Kensington Palace – the Sunken Garden.

Harry said: “Later this week, my brother and I are recognising what would have been our mum’s 60th birthday.

“And she would be so proud of you all for living an authentic life with purpose and with compassion for others.”

Since moving to the United States with his family and stepping down from royal duties, Prince Harry has been more open about his experiences within the royal family.

Speaking about his mother in the television series The Me You Can’t See with Oprah Winfrey on Apple TV+, Harry said he believed his mother would be proud of him.

Harry said: “I’m living the life she wanted to live for herself. I’m living the life that she wanted us to be able to live.

“So not only do I know that she’s incredibly proud of me but that she’s helped me get here. I’ve never felt her presence more as I have done over the last year.”