William gives emotional speech about mum Diana ONE HOUR after Meghan Markle launches new business in glitzy Insta post
Meghan's newest business venture will "flog homeware and jam"
PRINCE William gave an emotional speech last night about his mum Diana one hour after Meghan Markle launched her new business in a glitzy Instagram post.
The Prince of Wales said that his mother taught him that “everyone has the potential to give something back”, as he paid tribute to her at the Diana Legacy Award.
Prince Harry also participated in the ceremony by speaking to the winners in a video call, but his brother had already left the building.
Harry quizzed a group of young Diana Legacy Award winners in the “casual” video chat.
He told them: “Thank you, very much, for inspiring so many others and at the same time protecting my mother’s legacy.
“I really appreciate that. And, again, well done on this fantastic group of individuals.”
William’s speech came just hours after Meghan’s newest business venture “flogging homeware and jam” launched.
A mysterious new Instagram account for ‘American Riviera Orchard’ appeared online.
The page’s biography says the brand is “by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex” and visitors are linked to a website where they can join a mailing list.
And now industry insiders have told that the site will focus on home, food, garden and lifestyle goods.
The source said: “She’s been working on this for over a year and it’s all the things that are close to her heart — all the things she’s passionate about.”
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told The Sun that Meghan’s brand launch was “no accident”.
He said: “The announcement is totally consistent with the timing of all the Sussexes announcements. Nothing is ever accidental.”
The choice to do it today, he said, “is an example as to why the split between [Prince William and Harry] is like a Grecian tragedy“.
He added: “They are not communicating with each other.”
William attended the event at the Science Museum in London on Thursday night in person, where he gave a speech to mark the charity’s 25th anniversary.
Taking to the stage to AC/DC’s song Thunderstruck, he told the audience that he and his wife, the Princess of Wales, have sought to focus on Diana’s legacy through their work.
“This evening’s Legacy Award is particularly special as it marks the 25th anniversary year of The Diana Award, a charity set up to reflect my mother’s belief that young people can change the world,” he said.
“I know that she would have been honoured to see a charity in her name doing such inspirational work to uplift young people from all corners of the globe.”
He said that his mother taught him that that “everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life”.
“She taught me that everyone has the potential to give something back; that everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life,” he said.
“That legacy is something that both Catherine and I have sought to focus on through our work, as have the 50,000 young people who have received a Diana Award over the past 25 years.
“I am so proud to see this belief of my mother’s manifested in the amazing young people receiving the Legacy Award tonight.”
William also addressed his walk-on song choice saying “I like AC/DC, that’s George’s song.”
Everything we know about Meghan's new business
MEGHAN Markle has launched a new Instagram brand called American Riviera Orchard.
Industry insiders said the site will focus on home, food, garden and lifestyle goods.
A source told the Mail: “It’s a lifestyle and cooking brand called American Riviera Orchard.
“The brand is meant to coincide with the launch of a new cookery show for Netflix.
“Meghan will be making, and selling, products such as jams. And at some point there will be a book and blog etc.”
After the prince left, Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang, 18, who won an award for her charity Cases 4 Care’s work with undocumented children, said that meeting him was “like a dream come true”.
“He was really nice and welcoming,” she said.
She said that winning the award was “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” but it also felt like “the beginning of something new”.
Joel Nkeonye Mordi, 26, who won an award for founding a LGBT+ youth charity in Nigeria, said that it was “such a huge honour”.
He added: “It’s a call to action.”
The social media accounts for the Prince and Princess of Wales also posted a flurry of pictures and videos from the event.
They wrote: “Celebrating 25 years of The @DianaAward – one of the most prestigious accolades for young people committed to social action.”
It comes as the royal brothers have continued to distance themselves from each other in recent months.
Prince William's full speech at the Diana Legacy Awards
I’m delighted to be here today to recognise the transformational achievements of twenty exceptional young people from across the world.
Each and every one of their stories – which you will hear shortly – are testament to their character, passion and determination to make a lasting and meaningful difference to the lives of others.
The paths taken by these young people have not always been easy. Many have overcome adversity and prejudice, but they are driven by courage, compassion and commitment – qualities shared by my mother.
Their stories remind us of the importance of organisations like The Diana Award. I’ve seen on many occasions over the years how this charity empowers and mobilises young people to take action and make the changes they want to see in their communities and the world around them.
Over the next two years, The Diana Award, alongside many of their partners here today, will equip these young people with the skills to have an even bigger impact. I am excited to see what they can do together.
This evening’s Legacy Award is particularly special as it marks the 25th anniversary year of The Diana Award – a charity set up to reflect my mother’s belief that young people can change the world.
I know that she would have been honoured to see a charity in her name doing such inspirational work to uplift young people from all corners of the globe.
She taught me that everyone has the potential to give something back; that everyone in need deserves a supporting hand in life.
That legacy is something that both Catherine and I have sought to focus on through our work, as have the 50,000 young people who have received a Diana Award over the past 25 years.
I am so proud to see this belief of my mother’s manifested in the amazing young people receiving the Legacy Award tonight.
Thank you.
The pair did not meet when Harry spent time with the King at Clarence House following news of his cancer diagnosis last month.
In an interview with a US breakfast TV show, Harry said “I love my family” and that he was “grateful” to be able to spend around 45 minutes with Charles when he flew back to the UK.
Harry published his memoir Spare last year, in which he accused William of pushing him into a dog bowl in a row over the Duchess of Sussex.
It was also claimed William teased Harry about his panic attacks.
Further tensions between the royal brothers can be traced back to the early period of Harry’s relationship with wife Meghan, when his then fiancee had a falling out with the Princess of Wales in the run-up to their wedding.
The Diana Award was set up to promote the princess’s belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better.
Both William and Harry presented the inaugural legacy awards at St James’ Palace in 2017.
Last year the princes recorded separate videos to congratulate the winners as they celebrated Princess Diana’s globally recognised charity work.
It came in stark contrast to their unity of previous years.
In 2021 they appeared at the event together, with Harry telling the crowd: “Later this week, my brother and I are recognising what would have been our mum’s 60th birthday, and she would be so proud of you all for living an authentic life with purpose and with compassion for others.”
Speaking on the Harry and Will rift, Fitzwilliams added: “It underlines how sparsely different the brothers are after previously being inseparable.. and that it’s got to this is something that I think one could say would have deeply saddened Diana.
“I mean, there’s no doubt that relations are at rock bottom, but they apparently haven’t spoken for many months, and there’s no sign whatsoever that the rift will be healing.”
Meanwhile royal Biographer Angela Levin has blasted Harry for agreeing to talk over video link after William has left.
She told The Sun: “It’s a continuation of how badly they get on together.
“William’s absolutely furious with Harry and Harry’s being petulant. It’s not even childish at this point, his behaviour is disgusting.”
Angela added that the brother’s close bond was forged after Diana’s death but destroyed in recent years.
She said: “Harry has tried to make out his mother is more concerned with him than she was with William, which is also a spiteful thing to do.
“I mean, he told me that he felt he was still in contact with his mother.
“And looking, looked up to the heavens as he said that she was proud of him.
“I don’t think your brother really wants to hear all that. It’s very unkind to assume that his mother likes him much more, and is in touch with him through the heavens rather than William. It’s a very unkind thing.”
Dr Tessy Ojo, chief executive of the Diana Award, said: “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.”
It’s a continuation of how badly they get on together. William’s absolutely furious and they’re going to do things separately from now on
Angela Levin
Kensington Palace said: “The Prince [of Wales] will meet key staff and supporters of the Diana Award, before joining the ceremony where he will hear about the recipients’ work, make a short speech and present Legacy Awards to this year’s winners.”
Earlier today Prince William seemed in high spirits during a visit to WEST, the new OnSide Youth Zone in west London.
While chatting to kids at the event and struggling with icing, a bashful Wills admitted: “My wife is the arty one. Even my children are artier than me.”
As he laughed with the kids he brushed off the saga surrounding his wife Princess Kate’s edited Mother’s Day picture.
The Princess of Wales was said to be “very sad” that a sweet photograph of her family had triggered a global furore.
She admitted to “experimenting with editing” after eagle-eyed fans picked up on dozens of mistakes – including a blurred sleeve, Charlotte’s misaligned skirt and Kate’s mismatched zip.
Tonight’s event comes amid rumours the brothers’ rift began as far back as 2018.
The first hints of friction between the brothers reportedly came after William was introduced to Meghan when she was staying at Kensington Palace.
‘SIMMERING TENSIONS’
The Sun told how “simmering tensions” began when William questioned the speed of Harry and Meghan’s engagement.
Harry, 39, later hinted in his ITV documentary Harry and Meghan, An African Journey that he and his brother had grown apart.
But last month it emerged the royal rift was rumoured to have taken off over the brothers’ differing approach to wildlife conservation.
The pair share a passion for preserving protected species but they had opposing views on how to carry it out in Africa.
William favoured “community-led initiatives”, while Harry supported a “more interventionist approach”.
And last year Harry claimed his brother “knocked him to the floor” during an argument about Meghan.
In his book Spare, Harry said William branded Meghan “rude” and “difficult” during a row.
Harry alleged William “grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor”.
He said he was left with a visible injury to his back following the argument in 2019 at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace, where he was living at the time.
It comes after it was revealed Prince Philip called Meghan the “D.O.W” after the Duchess of Windsor — the American divorcee who led Edward VIII to abdicate.
And he warned the late Queen to be “cautious” of Harry’s then bride-to-be, a royal author claims.
Ingrid Seward revealed in new book My Mother And I that Prince Philip felt it was “uncanny…how much Meghan reminded him of the Duchess of Windsor“.
The brothers were last seen together ahead of the late Queen’s funeral in 2022, when they appeared to come together to put on a united front with their wives.
Prior to that they were seen together in public at the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June the same year.
Prince Harry's speech to youngsters
He said: “Thank you, very much, for inspiring so many others and at the same time protecting my mother’s legacy.
“I really appreciate that. And Tessy, again, well done on this fantastic group of individuals.”
