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Prince William Thanks Princess Diana Charity On Behalf Of Himself And Prince Harry

"My brother and I remain appreciative of the work you do," the Duke of Cambridge said.

Prince William thanked those working closely with the Diana Award, a charity set up to carry on the legacy of the late Princess Diana, in a sweet message released on Thursday.

The Duke addressed the note to workers, volunteers and supporters on behalf of both himself and his brother, Prince Harry, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The charity, which is the only one set up on behalf of the late Princess of Wales, works to support and empower young people who are going above and beyond in their communities. It also has two offshoots: an anti-bullying program and a mentoring program.

The Princess of Wales with her sons Prince William and Prince Harry attend the Heads of State VE Remembrance Service in Hyde Park on in May 1995.
Anwar Hussein via Getty Images
The Princess of Wales with her sons Prince William and Prince Harry attend the Heads of State VE Remembrance Service in Hyde Park on in May 1995.

“I wanted to write to send my support and thanks to all the staff, volunteers and supporters of The Diana Award,” the Duke of Cambridge said in the note, which was shared on the Diana Award’s Instagram page on Thursday.

“My brother and I remain appreciative of the work you do to foster, develop and support young people, particularly at this time of uncertainty,” he said.

“Whilst you are finding yourselves adapting to new ways of working, there is no doubt that your support for young people, through what will be anxious and unsettling times for many, is as important as ever,” the royal continued, signing off with “best wishes for good health” for everyone and their families.

The note contained photos of the princes together with young people who have been involved in the Diana Award over the years.

The Instagram account thanked the Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex for “all your support over the years” and tagged both the @KensingtonRoyal and @SussexRoyal Instagram accounts.

The Sussex Royal account is no longer active, as it was essentially archived after Harry and Meghan’s duties as working royals drew to a close on March 31. The account has also shut off comments on its posts.

Elan Mon Gilford receives an award at the Diana Award's at St James' Palace in May 2017.
WPA Pool via Getty Images
Elan Mon Gilford receives an award at the Diana Award's at St James' Palace in May 2017.

William’s mention of his brother, Harry, comes on the heels of royal reporter Katie Nicholl saying that the brothers are in touch, following the Sussexes’ step back from royal duties and subsequent move to Los Angeles.

“William and Harry are in touch,” Nicholl said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight earlier this week, referencing their father’s diagnosis and recovery from the coronavirus. “They are on the phone, they have done video calls together, they have done a lot of family birthdays. And I think with Prince Charles not being well, that really forced the brothers to pick up the phone to each other and get back in touch.”

She also said that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have absolutely remained in contact with their patronages and charities back in the U.K.

“Harry picks up the phone very regularly. He and Meghan have handpicked the charities and organizations to work with very carefully and quite deliberately because they’re charities that they care about,” she said.

“The idea that they would just go over to America and forget about these charities and organizations, particularly in Harry’s case, they’ve been a part of his life for so long that’s absolutely not the case,” Nicholl added.

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