Prince Harry arrived in New York on Sunday for a jam-packed visit supporting his patronages and causes he cares deeply about.
Prince Harry is in New York today (Image: Shutterstock)
Prince Harry spoke about the importance of mental wellness and climate action as he kickstarted his whirlwind solo trip to New York.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, took to the stage for a Diana Award event in Manhattan on Monday afternoon as part of the 14th Concordia Annual Summit.
The charity, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, was set up in honour of the Princess of Wales and works to create positive change for young people.
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His wife Meghan Markle has stayed at home with their two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three after she skipped a benefit organised by Kevin Costner on Saturday evening, leaving Harry to attend on his own.
At the panel event, Harry was joined by the charity’s chief executive Tessy Ojo and two winners of the Diana Legacy Award, Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, 18, from Indonesia, and Christina Williams, 27, from Jamaica.
Wearing a gold Diana Award badge on the lapel of his dark suit, the King’s youngest son spoke about the importance of mental wellness at a panel event where participants talked about climate anxiety.
Discussing mental health, Harry said: “It affects every single one of us, from the top to bottom, from the youngest to the oldest.
“And I think you guys are leading the charge in hopefully being able to break down the stigma to be able to continue these conversations.”
He also suggested replacing the well-known phrase “mental health” with “mental fitness”.
The duke added: “I know that my mum would be incredibly proud of you guys, not just you, but all of the winners, and, Tessy – you’ve been in this for a very long time so thank you for that as well.
“But the way that you do it, your activism, your compassion, those two things are so true to how my mom led her life and what she believed in. And the way that you do it is incredible. So thank you.”
Prince Harry appeared nervous on stage (Image: Concordia)
Harry followed the panel discussion by attending an with the Halo Trust, the landmine clearance charity supported by Diana, and attending a private engagement with conservation group African Parks.
Harry arrived in New York on Sunday for a jam-packed visit supporting his patronages and causes he cares deeply about.
His trip started with a dinner organised by the World Health Organization on Sunday night, where he warmly greeted Queen Mathilde of Belgium and chatted with other dignitaries, UN Agency Heads at an event which focused on violence against children and its impact on mental health.
The duke, who celebrated his milestone 40th birthday a week ago, is forging ahead with his charity work after describing how fatherhood has given him a renewed sense of purpose to make “this world a better place”.
Tomorrow Harry will discuss finding solutions to global challenges with former US president Bill Clinton, his daughter Chelsea Clinton, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, US broadcaster Katie Couric and primatologist Jane Goodall.
Other events on Tuesday see the duke focus on Lesotho, the impoverished southern African country where he set up his Sentebale charity to support Aids orphans, and the Travalyst organisation, which aims to encourage the tourism sector to become more sustainable.
