Prince William, 41, and Prince Harry, 38, united over a cause related to their late mom Princess Diana amidst their ongoing rift. The estranged siblings both appeared virtually at the 2023 Diana Awards on Friday, June 30 and celebrated the new winners of the award that’s been bestowed in Diana’s honor every year since 1999. William, 41, opened the ceremony with a video message where he praised “the achievements of these successful young people.” He also said that the Diana Award “is a reminder that when we invest in young people, when we provide them with the tools and opportunities to make a difference, they can truly change the world.”
Prince William's message at the 2023 Diana Awards Ceremony pic.twitter.com/oPA97OLePz
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William mentioned his late mom — who died in a car crash in Paris in 1997 — as he continued his speech. He said, “A belief shared by my mother, and one I am proud to continue in her name. To all the award recipients, I extend my heartfelt congratulations. Your accomplishments are a testament to your passion and commitment to creating positive change.”
Harry, who was only 12 years old when Diana passed, recorded his own video message that was played later on during the ceremony, and he also brought up his mother and her legacy.
“As we come together, I am reminded of the profound belief my mother held in the transformative power of young people,” Harry said in his speech. “She recognized their unique ability to challenge the status quo and push for a more inclusive and compassionate society. Her legacy continues to inspire and serve as an example of how to navigate the complexities of our world today,” he added.
The relationship between William and Harry has been strained for years now. They didn’t even interact at their father King Charles III‘s coronation on May 6 in England. The family drama was kicked into another gear following the release of Harry’s memoir, Spare, as well as Harry and his wife Meghan Markle‘s Netflix docuseries. In the memoir, Harry alleged that his older brother “knocked me to the floor” during a fight over Meghan, 41. In the docuseries, Harry claimed that William screamed at him during a tense family meeting at Sandringham.
When he was doing press for Spare, Harry told Michael Strahan on Good Morning America that he thinks Diana would be “sad” about his falling out with his brother. “I think she would be sad. I think she would be looking at it long-term to know that there are certain things that we need to go through to be able to heal the relationship,” Harry said. Harry also shared that he’s felt a stronger connection to his late mother since stepping away from the Royal family in 2020. “I have felt the presence of my mom, more so in the last two years than I have in the last 30,” he said.
William has stayed silent about his drama with his little brother. The father-of-three was asked if he read Harry’s book, during an appearance with his wife Kate Middleton at the Open Door charity in Merseyside, England in January, and he ignored the question.