Prince Harry has called on governments around the world to more actively involve young people in decision-making, as part of an event marking Princess Diana’s legacy.
The Duke of Sussex made the remark during a panel discussion organised by The Diana Award in New York to talk about the mental health crisis facing young people.
Talking to two Diana Award winners on stage with him, Harry said: “Surely, one of the solutions here is for governments to implement or at least offer or find people, young people like yourselves, and bring them into decision making, policy making situations right before the problems exist.
“We’re very, very good at creating problems for ourselves to try and solve. But surely, by bringing young people in at the early stages for those solutions, surely that is where the difference is going to be made”.
In the past, as a working member of the royal family, he wouldn’t necessarily have been so direct when making what some may see as political comments. Now he’s stepped away from official duties he doesn’t appear to feel the same restraints.
His involvement in the discussion was his first public engagement since he turned 40.
He was joined by the award’s chief executive Dr Tessy Ojo, and Diana Award winners 27-year-old Christina Williams – a youth advocate from Jamaica – and 18-year-old Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang from Indonesia.
The event was to launch a youth wellbeing project, encouraging teenagers and those in their 20s to feel empowered to speak up on mental health.
Harry then praised the winners for continuing his mother Diana’s legacy, saying: “I applaud you, at your age, to be on this stage, to have the confidence that you do, and to be able to speak as clearly and as passionately as you do.
“And I know that my mum would be incredibly proud of you guys, not just you, but all of the award winners… the way that you do it, your activism, your compassion.
“Those two things are so true to how my mum led her life and what she believed in, and the way that you do it is incredible.”
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Harry is due to attend other events in New York in the coming days including the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting.
It was also confirmed last week that he will be heading to the UK to attend the WellChild Awards on 30 September, another of his longstanding patronages.