Prince Harry and Prince William both honored their late mother through separate letters to Diana Award recipients this year, underscoring that their estrangement remains intact despite a shared commitment to Princess Diana’s legacy.
The Prince of Wales, 44, and the Duke of Sussex, 42, each penned individual congratulatory messages to the 198 young people recognized by The Diana Award, the only charity bearing their mother’s name and supported by both brothers. The honorees from 44 countries were celebrated for their “commitment to social action” and efforts to create “positive change in their communities and beyond,” the organization stated.
Among this year’s recipients were 23 young people from the United States. “These exceptional young people have demonstrated their ability to inspire and mobilise new generations to serve their communities and create long-lasting change on a global scale,” the organization said in a statement accompanying its annual Honor Roll.
Dr. Tessy Ojo CBE, chief executive of The Diana Award, added in a statement that “these young people are proof that, whatever their background or circumstances, the desire to make a difference is universal,” She continued, “They are building on Diana, Princess of Wales’ legacy almost 30 years on.”
The brothers’ parallel participation marks a rare joint tribute to their mother, who died in a Paris car crash on Aug. 31, 1997. Yet the separate nature of their messages offered no indication of any warming between the siblings, whose relationship has grown increasingly frigid since Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and relocated to Southern California.
Harry recently addressed the rift directly in an interview with GQ last month. “I want it to work out. Of course I do,” he said. He noted that “some people don’t want it to work out” and acknowledged that he continues to grieve their fractured relationship.
“With everything else that’s going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile,” Harry told the magazine. “That’s the key point.”
The father of two also characterized their estrangement as “massively relatable,” drawing connections to family conflicts experienced by people globally. “There’s sibling disagreements,” he explained. “So I know how relatable it is. Broken relationships between kids and their parents. That continues to come with me the whole time with people I speak to. That’s probably why there’s so much fascination.”
Harry conceded that healing may prove difficult. “If there’s certain things from the past that are still affecting you every day, that’s harder to let go of,” he said.
The brothers’ most recent public reunion came in July 2021, when they jointly unveiled a statue of Diana at Kensington Palace on what would have been her 60th birthday. The bronze sculpture, which features Diana surrounded by three children, was installed in the Sunken Garden of her former London residence. Since that appearance, however, the siblings have maintained noticeable distance at subsequent family gatherings, including Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022 and a 2024 memorial service for their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes.
The Sussexes made a surprising return to the UK in August, reportedly with hopes of helping their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, forge closer family ties. Despite this visit, Harry and William have yet to publicly reconcile.
The Diana Award ceremony represents one of the few remaining causes that connects both brothers to their mother’s humanitarian work, even as their personal bond continues to fray.