Prince Harry Says the Younger Generation ‘Give Me Hope’ at Event Tied to Mom Princess Diana

Prince Harry is honoring his late mother, Princess Diana, during his visit to New York City.

The Duke of Sussex, who recently turned 40 on Sept. 15, has a jam-packed itinerary as he returns to N.Y.C. to support a number of his patronages. One nonprofit close to his heart is The Diana Award, the only award named for his mother, who died following a car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997, when Harry was just 12 years old.

Harry joined The Diana Award at the annual Concordia Summit on Monday, Sept. 23, with The Diana Award’s CEO Dr. Tessy Ojo chairing a discussion with Harry and Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang of Indonesia and Christina Williams of Jamaica, both of whom are recipients of The Legacy Award in memory of Diana.

“I applaud you for certainly, [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,” Harry said on stage. “And I know that my mum would be incredibly proud of you guys, not just you, but all of the award winners.”

Prince Harry later added, “The reason why I wanted to go last is because these guys are the ones that give me hope,” Harry said at the panel discussion on Monday after asking the two award recipients questions. “I’ve said it years ago and I’ll say it again — the younger generation are, not putting too much pressure on you guys, you are what give me hope. The courage that you have gives me hope, because every single one of us need courage in order to really move the dial and create positive change in today’s world, probably more so now than ever.”

He continued, “So thank you to you guys for giving me and probably a whole lot of people in this room hope, and now we need to listen — constantly listen — and then act on the advice and the vision that you have, because otherwise it’s your future that’s being stolen from you, and that is unacceptable.”

The discussion focused on mental health issues facing young people today and highlighted what can be done to improve outcomes for their generation. The conversation emphasized the resilience and agency of young people.

“The Diana Award is delighted to be leading this conversation with young people and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex as we mark our 25th anniversary year,” Ojo said in a statement. “We know young people face many challenges today, but their compassion, determination and agency to make positive change now and in the future is immense. The Concordia Summit gives us the platform to share our insights and lead positive change.”

The Diana Award was established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, and has the support of both of her sons — both Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William. The organization is dedicated to empowering young people to create change, and both William and Harry attended its Legacy Award event in London in March (William in person, and Harry virtually).

“It’s a privilege to have the support of both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, particularly as we mark our 25th anniversary year,” Ojo previously told PEOPLE.

In July 2023, the brothers appeared in separate videos for the annual ceremony honoring young changemakers.

Of the princes’ virtual participation at that event, Ojo told PEOPLE, “They want to walk in their mother’s footsteps. We are very grateful and privileged that we continue to have both their support in supporting young people on a personal level. They understand how these young people are passionate about social change.”

The Diana Award engagement is the first stop of many for Harry as he spends time in New York City. Later on Sept. 23, Harry will undertake an engagement with The HALO Trust, and later in the week will be part of the Clinton Global Initiative and take part in work surrounding African Parks and Travalyst.

Harry’s visit to N.Y.C. was announced via a spokesperson on Aug. 27, when it was made public that the Duke of Sussex would visit N.Y.C. during UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week. Climate Week kicked off on Sept. 22 and runs until Sept. 29, and High-level Week runs from Sept. 23 to Sept. 27.

Prince Harry is visiting New York City to “advance a number of his patronages and philanthropic activities,” the spokesperson said, adding he would also “be furthering the work of The Archewell Foundation, the nonprofit organization he co-founded with his wife Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.”

Meghan Markle, 43, did not join her husband for this trip to New York City.

The timing of Harry’s visit coincides with another event happening in N.Y.C. around Prince William’s Earthshot Prize. On Sept. 24, the Prince of Wales’ global environmental contest and Bloomberg Philanthropies will co-host the third annual Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit at the Plaza Hotel, though Prince William will not be in attendance.

Prince Harry was last in New York City in October 2023 for the Archewell Foundation’s first in-person event. The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit: Mental Wellness in a Digital Age brought together parents who experienced tragic loss connected to their child’s social media use, and the Duke and Duchess spoke on stage alongside Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in a conversation moderated by Carson Daly.

During an interview that aired on CBS Sunday Morning on Aug. 4 (which was Meghans’ 43rd birthday), the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced the launch of The Parents Network through the Archewell Foundation to support parents whose children have been impacted by traumas relating to social media use.

Harry and Meghan made two international trips this year to help create change through the Archewell Foundation, visiting Nigeria in May and touring Colombia from Aug. 15 to Aug. 18.

“It is hugely important for us to meet directly with people, supporting our causes and listening, in order to bring about solutions, support and positive change,” Prince Harry told PEOPLE in May while in Nigeria.

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Looking to the future, the Duke of Sussex added that he and his wife are anticipating more travel opportunities to further their initiatives.

“There’s only so much one can do from home and over Zoom, so we look forward to traveling more because the work matters. Whether it’s the Archewell Foundation, Invictus or any of our other causes, there will always be reasons to meet the people at the heart of our work,” Prince Harry said.