As Prince Harry‘s trip to New York City kicked off, his household again house in California was on his thoughts.
On Sept. 23, the Duke of Sussex, 40, FaceTimed his spouse, Meghan Markle, and their youngsters, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, earlier than he hit the stage on the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit in N.Y.C.
Whereas chatting along with his household, Harry panned the digicam across the room, giving his youngsters a mini digital tour of the occasion area on the Sheraton New York Instances Sq. Resort.
On the primary day of his go to to New York Metropolis, Harry highlighted The Diana Award, the one charity established in his mom Princess Diana’s reminiscence, in a panel dialogue on psychological well being. The Duke of Sussex was joined by Dr. Tessy Ojo, CEO of the Diana Award, together with two recipients of the Diana Legacy Award: Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, 18, and Christina Williams, 27.
“He’s simply so kind-hearted. Not solely was he serving to us get comfy with talking on stage, however he comforted us after as properly,” Zhang advised PEOPLE on the occasion. “And backstage, he was really calling Meghan. I believed that was simply so candy, and it helped humanize him. He made positive we had no nerves in any respect.”
Williams added, “Right here is somebody who’s in a high-level position, who actually cares about younger individuals, cares about our voices and our actions. They are saying you by no means wish to meet your heroes, however I met somebody who I like and I’m leaving the expertise nonetheless sustaining that admiration, or much more admiration, to know that he actually cares concerning the causes that he represents.”
Harry and Meghan, 43, are recognized to maintain in shut contact with their youngsters after they’re away from house. When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited Canada for the Invictus Video games’ One Yr to Go occasion in February, Meghan memorably took photos on her phone of Harry making an attempt to adaptive ski to “present the youngsters.”
Prince Harry, Williams, Zhang and Ojo got here collectively for a dialogue across the psychological well being disaster dealing with younger individuals right this moment and spoke about options to enhance outcomes for his or her era. The identical day, The Diana Award introduced the launch of its “Decade of Youth Wellbeing” amid its twenty fifth anniversary yr. An announcement described the initiative as “a daring, bold and collaborative plan to harness the ability [of] younger individuals, like Christina and Chiara, to guide constructive change.”
For the Duke of Sussex, that encouragement and optimism begins behind the scenes.
“I feel he was very encouraging of us, saying that we will go on the market, we will do an amazing job. He additionally spoke concerning the issues that he was very keen about, just like the local weather, making an attempt to destigmatize psychological well being, bringing it right down to a stage of all people’s enterprise,” Williams advised PEOPLE. “It is about psychological well being, but additionally about psychological health and psychological wellbeing. So I feel that was actually good to heat us up for the stage and simply put us in a spot the place we simply spoke from the guts.”
Prince Harry and his brother Prince William each assist The Diana Award, and each appeared (Harry just about, and William in particular person) at a London occasion celebrating the group’s twenty fifth anniversary in March, the place they related with the 20 Legacy Award winners from around the globe.
“We’re so honored, and what a privilege to have each her sons who assist this work. And it’s their mom’s legacy. They’re each immensely dedicated to driving change,” Ojo advised PEOPLE on the Concordia Summit about what it means to have each of the late Princess of Wales’ sons champion the trigger. “We all know it is a privilege to have their assist, and we’ll proceed to work to make them proud and to maintain their mom’s legacy alive.”
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The Diana Award panel was one of many first of many stops for the Duke of Sussex throughout his journey to N.Y.C. He undertook an engagement with The HALO Belief later within the day on Sept. 23, a patronage his late mom was carefully related to earlier than her demise in 1997. As his go to continues Sept. 24, he’s anticipated to take part within the Clinton World Initiative and outings round African Parks and Travalyst.