Aug. 31 (UPI) — Twenty-five years after Princess Diana’s death, her sons Princes William and Harry are working to defend their mother’s legacy around the world through charities in her name.
15 and 12 years old when their mother died, the brothers have often talked about how their mother’s death brought them closer and inspired them to continue their work on mental health, conservation, and humanitarian issues.
The Royal Foundation, a 2016 campaign launched by William’s brothers and wife Kate Middleton, brings together eight charities to combat the stigma surrounding mental health.
Through the foundation, the brothers have partnered with advocates across the UK, including programs to help children, initiatives against suicide and tools to support institutions in crisis.
William and Harry consider mental health initiatives a cause close to their mother when she spoke about her struggles. with an eating disorder and depression.
Harry, a former British Army officer, has said that his time in the army helped educate him about the struggles with PTSD that many soldiers face, including himself.
“I would go to a barracks in London and as part of their staff recovery unit I would do interviews or just meet with people who were mostly suffering from psychological injuries that came from physical injury or otherwise,” he said. said in a podcast in April. “Listening to their stories, I began to realize that parts of my own history were mirrored or mirrored in that.”
These experiences with combat veterans inspired Harry to found the Invictus Games in 2014, an international sports competition for physically and mentally injured service members.
lessons from a mother
Beyond mental health, the Royal Foundation also supports conservation efforts to protect wildlife around the world, such as anti-poaching task forces in Africa and global work to tackle climate change.
The princes help keep Diana’s influence alive through The Diana Award, a charity established in her memory that honors young people who have achieved important humanitarian goals.
Through the award, William and Harry have helped promote anti-bullying and mentoring in the UK and around the world.
William said harper’s bazaar in 2019 that she wanted to instill her mother’s lessons into her daily charity.
“[Diana] I realized that it was very important when you grow up, especially in the life that we grew up in, that you realize that life happens beyond the palace walls and that you see real people struggling with real problems,” said William . “I’ve grown up in a home that has largely been the case of, well, we’re very lucky, you have to give back.”
William has also made his voice heard through a series of films called Support sound.
Produced in conjunction with English football manager Gareth Southgate, the films highlight mental health awareness in a number of industries, most notably sports.
William and Southgate spend the films talking to various European soccer stars about the mental and physical challenges they have faced.
“The idea of being able to talk about…weakness, the idea of being able to be open about your emotions and fix a problem, it’s positive, it’s a strength, not a weakness, and I think the culture is something that we hope to see a slight change,” says William in a preview for the movies
‘Ideal role model’
Meanwhile, Harry has championed one of his mother’s most prominent causes by helping with charities in Africa, including Sentebale, which he co-founded in Lesotho.
“We will do everything we can to make sure that she is never forgotten and continues with all the special gifts, as such, that she had and that she portrayed while she was alive.” he said from her mother in 2016. “I hope she’s looking down, you know, with tears in her eyes, incredibly proud of what we’ve established, I guess.”
Harry has said that Diana will always be his “ideal role model”.
“I think he had a lot in common with everyone, but he also heard in a very, very short time,” Harry said of his mother. in 2017. “In society, we suffer from this illusion of this reality where some issues get so big that no one wants to get involved. She was the one who changed that.”
Diana’s youngest son has been open in the past about his struggles with alcoholism and mental health after his death.
Harry resigned from his main position within the British royal family in 2020, and it is working on a memory he says it will “offer an honest and captivating personal portrait.”
Diana died in a car accident on August 31, 1997, shocking the world, and particularly the United Kingdom, where she was considered a cultural icon and world ambassador.
The accident was the culmination of long-standing tensions between Diana and the rest of the royal family.
his high profile marriage to prince charlesheir to the throne, was widely covered by British tabloids, as was her romantic relationship with Dodi Fayed following her divorce from Charles in 1996.
Use state for causes
Despite constant media attention, Diana was able to use her status among the British nobility to champion causes close to her heart.
Among his most notable efforts are attempts to advocate for the removal of landmines in war-torn countries. Diana used to visit the victims of these landmines on goodwill trips.
The princess was also known for her work with HIV/AIDS patients in the 1990s. She was one of the first notable figures to be filmed touching patients, at a time when many still incorrectly believed the virus could be transmitted. by physical contact.
She also helped open the Landmark AIDS Center in London and was a major supporter of the UK’s National AIDS Trust.
However, while Diana’s vast legacy continues, the charities in her name have not always been without bumps in the road.
While the royals had established an official memorial fund after Diana’s death, that fund was divided in 2020 by William and Harry to allow them to go their separate ways. Harry would eventually move to the United States with his family.
Still, Diana’s status as a champion of charity remains, and not only her children can see it, but also their spouses.
Middleton is actively involved in many aspects of the Royal Foundation as one of its founding members.
Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, has also been a champion of women’s rights and, as is well known, even US senators cold called to boost paid family leave in the United States.
Along with her husband, Markle also signed a multi-year agreement with Spotify in 2020 which will see the pair produce a variety of podcasts. They work to create shows that “highlight diverse perspectives and voices.”
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