Prince William and Prince Harry Unite for Award in Name of Late Mother Princess Diana

Princess Diana's sons showed their support for the latest class of young changemakers

Prince William and Prince Harry are uniting for a cause in the name of their late mother Princess Diana.

On Friday, the princes appeared in two separate videos for the annual Diana Award honoring young changemakers around the world. William helped open the annual ceremony while Harry introduced a group of winners, as the awards championed 189 young people from 31 countries.

Prince William, 41, spoke at the start and was introduced by former Diana Award Legacy Award winner Hannah Hodgson, who met the prince two years ago. The Prince of Wales praised her and the other young people for the "challenges they have overcome" to reach this point. "What unites them is their courage, compassion and a relentless dedication to improving the lives of others," he said. "Today, we recognize the power of all young people — the power to challenge the status quo, to confront injustice, and to inspire meaningful change."

"To all the award recipients, I extend my heartfelt congratulations. Your accomplishments are a testament to your passion and commitment to creating positive change," he continued. "You are an inspiration to everyone. And to everyone watching all these stories remind us why organizations like The Diana Award are so important. It is a reminder that when we invest in young people, when we provide them with the tools and opportunities to make a difference, they can truly change the world."

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"A belief shared by my mother, and one I am proud to continue in her name. To all the award recipients, I extend my heartfelt congratulations. Your accomplishments are a testament to your passion and commitment to creating positive change. You are the torchbearers of hope and inspiration, lighting the way for others to follow," William added.

Harry, 38, also spoke about his late mother on the eve of her birthday in a video cameo that appeared about halfway through the hour-long ceremony.

"When someone steps up to be of service, they automatically join this collective. No one is ever a conduit for change alone. Each one of us has the ability to help create a more equitable world," the Duke of Sussex said. "The brilliant Award recipients we’re honoring today are proof of that. They exemplify the notion that when we use our voices, change can happen."

"As we come together, I am reminded of the profound belief my mother held in the transformative power of young people. She recognized their unique ability to challenge the status quo and push for a more inclusive and compassionate society," he continued.

"Her legacy continues to inspire and serve as an example of how to navigate the complexities of our world today. So many of the numerous challenges that we face disproportionately affect young people and, of course, their futures. Whether it's climate change, mental health, or systemic injustices, the obstacles can sometimes seem overwhelming. But, what gives me hope is the collective power we possess when we work together — the strength in the diversity of voices and perspectives that encompass it," Harry said.

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Harry met a group of youngsters for one of the organization’s Conversation for Change meetings in Los Angeles earlier this month, alongside the charity CEO Tessy Ojo. It was the first time the Diana Award held such a summit outside the U.K. The meetings are designed to bring young people together around a key social issue. Before the discussion in LA, the Duke of Sussex surprised four of this year’s Diana Award recipients with their certificates.

Ojo tells PEOPLE of both princes’ involvement in today’s ceremony, “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.”

“And I know that even when we don't see them on screens, when we don't shout it from the rooftops and when there's no presence I know for sure that they are committed to this charity. It’s always a privilege to show the world a little bit of that from time to time.”

This year’s cohort, Ojo says, “are not afraid to tackle big, big issues. When we first started the Diana Award, there were many cute projects. There were lots of lovely cute projects often locally based. Now, what we see increasingly this cohort is young people tackling huge systemic issues that perhaps governments are still grappling with.”

"The award is as much about nurturing the honorees on their ongoing work, helping them we want to nurture these young people. We want to help them. We want to amplify the work they're doing. We want to build their skills so that they have greater impact in their community," the executive explains.

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And Ojo adds that they are doing much to support and mentor the young people — for whom their social activism can sometimes be lonely due to abuse received, or the polarization caused, by social media.

“That’s what drives us is ensuring too that mental wellbeing is being prioritized and they know how to step off the treadmill when they need to. We support young people beyond getting the award. To make sure that we are giving them the tools, and resources and making sure they're building their capacity to have greater impact. They are not fighting for themselves, they're fighting for a better society.”

The rollcall from the US is: Anh Nguyen, 18, The Nguyen Memorial Cancer Relief Foundation; Anshul Gupta, 17, Auesome; Bree Yagana, 16, Refugee Resettlement Program; Chinmayi Balusu, 20, Simply Neuroscience; Etasha Donthi, 18, She The Change; Ethan Chiu, 18, Next Generation Diplomacy; Fatima Khawaja, 16, Alameda County Dept. for Public Health; Hailey Richman, 15, KidCareGivers; Mark Leschinsky, 17, Student World Impact Film Festival; Melody Chang, 18, Let’s Learn About Public Health; Nora Sun, 17, Talaria Summer Institute; Okezue Bell, 16, Fidutam; Pravneet Chadra, 14, Project Smile AZ; Rania Zuri, 18,  LiTEArary Society; Rehman Hassan, 17, Icure Health International; Rithvik Jandhyala, 16, Immersive Game-based Learning for Special Needs; Saket Pathak, 15, Learning Quest; Sophia Andrews, 21, Ngoma Kenya; Sri Nihal Tamana, 13, Recycle My Battery; Sriya Tallapragada, 15, Girls Who Steam; Sumedha Mohanty, 16, Mission Shakty; Sunmin Eom, 16, SILVER; Tabatha Willis, 22, Soul For Justice.

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