Prince William and Prince Harry Swerve Awkward Meeting in Diana’s Honor

Prince William and Prince Harry will both participate in an award honoring their mother’s legacy but one day apart—swerving any awkward overlap.

The Prince of Wales today gave letters to winners of the 2024 Diana Award, one day before the main ceremony on Thursday. During the main event, Prince Harry will give a video address offering his own praise for recipients.

The choreography echoes a similar strategy at The Diana Legacy Award Ceremony, at the Science Museum in London, in March. It saw William attend in person but leave before his younger brother’s video message was played.

However, the need to divide the contributions of Diana’s two sons to a charity cause that honors her legacy as a humanitarian has also served to underscore how deep their rift has become.

Prince William’s letter read: “I am so proud of the impact every one of you has had on your communities and beyond. You are driven by kindness and compassion and through this you are all changing the world for the better.

“In this special 25th anniversary year for the Diana Award, it is wonderful to see
young people from across the globe being recognized,” the letter added.

“At times, the world can feel an uncertain and unfamiliar place and I know many of you have had to work hard to overcome barriers to make positive change. Despite this, I am heartened to see what inspirational young people like you can achieve.

“I know my mother, in whose memory you receive the Diana Award today,
would be immensely proud of you. I hope this award helps you to further champion
your cause and support those around you. Thank you for your dedication. You are all extraordinary.”

Harry recently promoted the Diana Award during a visit to New York during a discussion with Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, 18, from Indonesia and Christina Williams, 27, from Jamaica, on stage at the Concordia Annual Summit.

“I applaud you,” Harry said. “I know my mom would be incredibly proud of you guys. Your activism, your compassion—those two things are so true to how my mom led her life and what she believed in.”

The Diana Award will honor 200 young people from 45 countries, including 34 Americans, during a ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. ET on December 5.

Jack Royston is Newsweek‘s chief royal correspondent based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.

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