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Harry honours Diana’s legacy with solo appearances in New York

The duke is carrying out two days of engagements, with the first being a summit with the Diana Award, which was set up in memory of his late mother.

Laura Elston
Monday 23 September 2024 10:23 EDT
The Duke of Sussex is in New York carrying out two days of engagements (Yui Mok/PA)
The Duke of Sussex is in New York carrying out two days of engagements (Yui Mok/PA) (PA Wire)

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The Duke of Sussex has kicked off a run of high profile appearances in New York, as he joined the charity set up in memory of his late mother to discuss the global mental health crisis facing young people.

Harry is championing causes close to his heart and those associated with Diana, Princess of Wales on the solo east coast trip with two days of events in the Big Apple during UN General Assembly High-Level Week and Climate Week.

The King’s youngest son took part in a panel on Monday with the Diana Award, which was set up in honour of the princess and marks its 25th anniversary this year.

Harry joined the charity’s chief executive Tessy Ojo and two winners of the Diana Legacy Award, Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, 18, from Indonesia, and Christina Williams, 27, from Jamaica.

Dr Ojo said ahead of the event: “The Diana Award is delighted to put young people centre-stage at The Concordia Annual Summit in New York alongside Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.

“There is reason to have hope. When empowered and given the tools to unlock their potential, we know young people can lead the positive change the world needs.

“On our 25th Anniversary, this event gives us the platform to share our insights and launch our ambitious plan for the next decade.”

Harry is following this later with an appearance for the Halo Trust, the landmine clearance charity supported by Diana, and then a private engagement with conservation group African Parks.

The duke, who celebrated his milestone 40th birthday a week ago, is forging ahead with his charity work after describing how fatherhood has given him a renewed sense of purpose to make “this world a better place”.

He is one of the star guests with former US president Bill Clinton on Tuesday morning where he will discuss finding solutions to global challenges.

Harry will join Mr Clinton, the former president’s daughter Chelsea Clinton, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, US broadcaster Katie Couric and primatologist Jane Goodall at a session called Everything Everywhere All At Once at the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting.

Other events on Tuesday see the duke focus on Lesotho, the impoverished southern African country where he set up his Sentebale charity to support Aids orphans, and the Travalyst organisation, which aims to encourage the tourism sector to become more sustainable.

Harry is travelling to the UK for the WellChild annual awards next Monday.

The Diana Award event was part of the Concordia Summit, the largest nonpartisan forum alongside the UN General Assembly.

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