Having had her own experiences with bullying and social exclusion both in her childhood and adult life, an award in Princess Diana’s name, which attempts to address these issues, is only fitting.
The Diana Award, which celebrates its fifteenth anniversary this year, was set up two years after the death of Princess Diana and is the only charity named in her honor.
According to The Daily Mail , the anniversary of the award was used as a perfect opportunity for Princess Diana’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, to pay tribute to her philanthropic legacy.
In a foreword to the anniversary edition of the Diana Award booklet, Prince William and Harry said, “We know that our mother – in whose memory this award was established – felt the same and would be proud of its achievements to date.”
Us Weekly reported that the Diana Award has recognized over 40,000 inspirational and socially active young people to date.
Prince William and Prince Harry said they were impressed by the charitable work being done by young people and expressed that they were inspired after meeting this year’s awardees.
“Having met young people working with the charity in Newcastle and in London, we were struck in both cases by their deep and lasting sense of social responsibility,” William and Harry continued. “These young people were working hard to tackle the social issues that affected them—such as bullying or social exclusion—and the Diana Award empowered them to do more.”
Ellie Louise Harris-Beard, a 13-year-old, was among the recipients of the award. She was awarded for helping her family found the charity Cords4Life, which encourages umbilical cord donations. Her brother, Charlie, was being treated with stem cells from an umbilical cord before he lost his battle to leukemia last year.
Prince William and Prince Harry, in continuing their tribute to Princess Diana, expressed great optimism about young people involved in charitable work.
“This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Diana Award. Over this time, the award has evolved to become a youth-driven charity that harnesses the energy and passion of young people who really are trailblazers for their generation. We believe, when encouraged and supported, that young people have the ability to change society for the better.”
According to The Inquisitr , Prince William and Harry have supported several charitable causes, the most recent being wheelchair rugby , a game played by veterans wounded on the battlefield.
In addition to their endorsement of the Diana awards, Prince William and Prince Harry have become patrons for many of the charities which Princess Diana supported.
[Image via AnwarHussein/Getty Images]
