Prince William Praises 2026 Diana Award Recipients
Kensington Palace released a letter from the Prince of Wales honoring 198 young people recognised for social action and humanitarian work.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Youth
Kensington Palace released a letter from Prince William to recipients of the 2026 Diana Award, which recognised 198 young people from 44 countries. The letter praised their compassion, resilience, and efforts to create positive change.
Why it matters
The award honours social action and humanitarian work by young people, and the letter offers public recognition from a senior royal figure. The letter references Diana, Princess of Wales, in whose memory the award is given, linking the honour to her legacy.
The 2026 Diana Award recognised 198 young people across 44 countries for social action and humanitarian work. The extraction does not provide a comparison with previous years' recipient numbers or the total number of nominations.
The players
Prince William
Prince William, Prince of Wales, is the eldest son of King Charles III and heir to the British throne, and he signed the letter to recipients.
Kensington Palace
Kensington Palace is the London residence of the Prince of Wales and the Princess of Wales, and it issued the letter to the public.
Diana Award
The Diana Award is a charity established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, that recognises young people for social action and humanitarian work.
The details
Prince William sent a handwritten letter, printed on Kensington Palace stationery, to this year's recipients. The letter states their impact on their communities is remarkable and that they showed extraordinary resilience, courage, and belief in the power of kindness.
Timeline
Diana, Princess of Wales, died nearly 30 years before the 2026 letter was released.
The letter and 2026 award recognition were released by Kensington Palace on 5 November 2026.
Legacy Recognition
The Diana Award, created in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, continues a tradition of honouring young people's humanitarian work nearly three decades after her death. The 2026 letter places this year's cohort within that memorial lineage.
Young people interested in social action can look to the Diana Award's recognised projects as examples of community work. The extraction does not specify application deadlines or eligibility steps for future awards.
The takeaway
Recognition from a senior public figure can highlight the work of young people who address problems in their own communities. Readers interested in youth-led initiatives can look for similar local programmes that support social action.
Further reading
Explore more stories in the Youth section on young people's social action and recognition.
