Prince Harry is away from his home of Montecito for eight days as he conducts a solo trip to the East Coast and the UK – but clearly, his family have been on his mind during his visits.
On Monday, the Duke of Sussex, 40, appeared on stage in New York to discuss mental health and climate change with two young winners of a legacy award given in Princess Diana’s memory.
But before taking to the platform, the King’s youngest son FaceTimed his wife, Meghan Markle, 43, and their children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, according to People magazine.
The publication wrote that Harry reportedly showcased the room to his family, giving them a little tour of the hotel space before taking part in the 14th Concordia Annual Summit in support of The Diana Award.
‘Backstage, he was actually calling Meghan. I thought that was just so sweet, and it helped humanise him,’ Diana Legacy Award winner Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, 18, who joined Harry for the panel discussion on mental health, told the publication.
Prince Harry is away from his home of Montecito for eight days as he conducts a solo trip to the East Coast and the UK – but clearly, his family (pictured) have been on his mind during his visits
‘He made sure we had no nerves at all… He is just so kind-hearted. Not only was he helping us get comfortable with speaking on stage, but he comforted us after as well,’ added the award recipient.
Harry, who cracked his knuckles and looked nervous as he sat down on stage, spoke of the importance of mental wellness at the event, where participants talked about their climate anxiety.
He personally interviewed Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang from Indonesia and Christina Williams from Jamaica, who received The Legacy Award in memory of Princess Diana, joking: ‘For some reason I’ve been given the microphone to ask the questions.’
He told them: ‘I applaud you for having the confidence to be on this stage. I know my mother would be incredibly proud of you guys. Your activism is true to how my mother lived her life.’
Harry, wearing a navy suit and tie with a Diana Award pin on his lapel, asked: ‘Do you feel like leaders and people in positions of power are listening to you?’, adding that he wanted the The Diana Award to help their campaigning to tackle climate change and bring influence around the world.
And when asked what gives him hope for the future he said: ‘I have said it before years ago and I’ll say it again. The younger generation is what gives me hope. The courage you have gives me hope.
‘Everyone of us needs courage to move the dial in this world, probably more than ever. We need to listen and act on what you say because it is your future that will be stolen and that is unacceptable’.
The Duke of Sussex is away from Montecito for the next eight days and went to a California benefit organised by Kevin Costner on Saturday, without his American wife.
On Monday, the Duke of Sussex, 40, appeared on stage in New York to discuss mental health and climate change with two young winners of a legacy award given in Princess Diana ‘s memory
Harry interviewed Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang from Indonesia and Christina Williams from Jamaica, who received The Legacy Award in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales
Before his attendance at Monday’s event, the night before Harry was seen greeting Queen Mathilde of Belgium, actor Forest Whitaker, several UN Agency Heads, and other dignitaries, for an event to honour survivors of childhood violence.
All are in New York for the UN General Assembly, which kicked off Monday morning in Manhattan.
Officials from countries like Sweden, Colombia, Zimbabwe, Georgia, Canada, Iceland, and Brazil were also present, as were survivors of child abuse to discuss the important issue.
Also in attendance were high-profile figures like Whitaker and Shudu Musida, who, along with the survivors, helped pen an open letter last week demanding urgent action from world leaders to end violence against children.
This comes ahead of the first-ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, which is set to take place in Colombia in November.
Signatories of the letter included Harry, Mathilde, and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, who was seen conversing with the Duke of Sussex and actor at length during the event.
Prince Harry is seen greeting Queen Mathilde of Belgium during a high-level dinner on ‘Violence against children and its impact on mental health’ in New York City with WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in the background
The Belgian royal spoke to the crowd as well, urging for more to be done to help kids facing corporal punishment, bullying, online violence and sexual abuse.
Other forms of violence singled out by the group include gang violence, child marriage and child labour.
Meghan, meanwhile, was nowhere to be seen, after championing efforts designed to halt online bullying earlier this summer.
The gathering came a day after Harry attended Kevin Costner ‘s charity concert at his beachfront estate solo, all the way across the country in California while Meghan was said to be ‘sick.’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk