Prince Harry to Attend the Diana Awards in NYC This September Without Meghan Markle or Their Kids
Prince Harry will return to New York for the U.N. General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week next month, but the royal will attend the gathering without his wife, Meghan Markle, or their two kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex revealed he will travel to the East Coast in September to "advance a number of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives."
"He will participate in engagements with African Parks, The HALO Trust, The Diana Award, and Travalyst," they added.
The Diana Awards celebrated the news on their official Instagram account.
"In our 25th Anniversary year, The Diana Award is delighted to be leading an event with Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex in New York this September. The event will be driven by young people and their insights on the biggest issues facing their generation today," CEO Dr. Tessy Ojo CBE wrote in a caption of the event that honors Princess Diana.
During the Sussexes' 2023 trip to New York City for the Archewell Parent's Summit, they were greatly criticized for their use of a motorcade since they were simultaneously asking fans to preserve the earth. As OK! previously reported, royal commentator Michael Cole discussed their carbon footprint in a past interview.
“The last time I saw a convoy like that, it was at Elvis Presley's funeral when there were 11 Cadillacs, including his hearse," Cole said during a GB News appearance. "This is really quite awful. I mean hypocrisy upon hypocrisy."
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In 2019, Harry spoke to the U.N. about conservationism, but his speech received a mixed response.
"The drought there is a reflection of extreme weather we are seeing across the globe. As I speak, our world is on fire, again," Harry said. "These historic weather events are no longer historic."
"More and more, they are a part of our daily lives, and this crisis will only grow worse... unless our leaders lead," he added. "Unless the countries represented by the seats in this hallowed hall make the decisions — the daring, transformative decisions — our world needs to save humanity."
His public rival Piers Morgan felt Harry's address was phony.
"It takes a special kind of brazen brass neck to stand up at the United Nations in New York, as he did today, and lecture the world about climate change when you constantly use luxury gas-guzzling private jets like a taxi service," Morgan wrote in a column.
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Nelson Mandela's grandson Ndaba Mandela used Harry's public appearance as an opportunity to hold dignitaries accountable for their role in global warming.
"Every year we have the World Economic Forum and all these heads of state coming in on their own private jets talking about climate change, so I think it's time we hold our leaders accountable and really let them put their money where their mouth is and say if they truly believe in climate change — whether it be Prince Harry or whether it be a head of state — people need to be held accountable," the British TV star quoted Ndaba in his article.