Prince Harry was out on the day his son Prince Archie turned 6. The Duke of Sussex joined the Diana Award in Las Vegas for the launch of the “Pledge to Invest” initiative, which aims to shine a light on the future of youth leadership and how forward-thinking businesses can support.
Dr. Tessy Ojo CBE, CEO of the Diana Award, chaired a conversation featuring the royal and two Diana Legacy Award recipients, Sikander “Sonny” Khan and Christina Williams, at the launch event on Tuesday.
“Through The Diana Award, I’ve had the privilege of meeting young people who have turned adversity into action. That’s not just inspiring—it’s the kind of untapped potential we can’t afford to overlook,” Harry said. “Far too many young people are locked out of leadership pipelines because we’ve failed to build truly inclusive and accessible pathways.”
“This generation isn’t waiting for permission to lead—they are already doing it,” he continued. “They bring emotional intelligence, social awareness, and an honesty about mental health that previous generations struggled to express. What sets them apart isn’t just their boldness, but their refusal to settle for the status quo… If we’re serious about a better future, we need to stop underestimating them and start listening.”
The Duke also told Sonny and Christina, “We’re in an era now where we are looking for more companies to be serving the greater good – the majority, not the minority. Every single young person has potential. From a younger generation standpoint, in an apathetic world, there’s more empathy in this generation than I’ve ever seen before… It’s the empathy, the authenticity, the truth, the honesty and the fearlessness… When they stand up for themselves, and stand up in their communities… That is what we need. We need fearless leadership. So I tip my hat to both of you and what you represent.”
© The Diana AwardThe Diana Award is charity that was set up in memory of Princes William and Harry’s mother, Princess Diana, and her belief that young people have the power to change the world.
The Diana Award noted that the Duke’s participation in the event on May 6 underscored his “continued commitment to redefining how we invest in the future,” and pointed out that the Prince, in partnership with the charity, “is helping bridge business investment and youth development, championing a vision where innovation, equity and service unite—not only to address today’s workforce challenges, but to unlock the full potential of the next generation of leaders. In doing so, he continues the legacy of his mother, Princess Diana, whose unwavering belief in the power of young people remains at the heart of this mission.”
The event in Vegas marked Harry’s first appearance since his bombshell interview with the BBC—it also coincided with his son Prince Archie’s sixth birthday. Meghan Markle celebrated her firstborn’s special day on Tuesday with a touching tribute on her personal Instagram, which she launched earlier this year.
“Our son. Our sun. Happy 6th birthday to Archie!” the Duchess of Sussex wrote alongside a scenic shot of Archie admiring the sun over the ocean. “Thank you for all of the love, prayers, and warm wishes for our sweet boy. He’s six! Where did the time go?(And for all of you who came to celebrate with us at his party last weekend, thank you for making his birthday so incredibly special ❤️).”
During Harry’s interview with BBC News, following his legal battle loss against the UK government over security, the dad of two admitted that he “can’t see a world” where he’d be bringing his “wife and children back to the UK at this point.” “And the things that they’re going to miss is well everything,” the Duke said of his kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Harry added, “I love my country, I always have done, despite what some people in that country have done… I miss the UK. I miss parts of the UK. Of course I do. And I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show, you know, my children my homeland.”
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